Picture This: TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge

Although most people tend to think of videos when they think of digital storytelling, the TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge (TSDigs), powered by Lights. Camera. Help., demonstrates the power photos also have to tell stories.

More than 40 photo slideshows were submitted via Flickr from social benefit organizations across the globe as part of this year’s challenge. And many more videos submitted for the challenge integrated photos into their narratives. The collected photos highlight the many good works being done by social benefit organizations and the faces of those that work touches.

Throughout the campaign, TechSoup invited nonprofit digital storytelling experts to share their best practices for creating stories with impact using pictures. Each of the following photos reflects one, or many components, of what makes a powerful image.

Submitted by The Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City, this photo incorporates the “rule of thirds.” The “rule of thirds” breaks a visual plane into three sections across and down for a total of nine quadrants. Aligning a subject along these lines or at the intersections creates a more compelling image than just positioning your subject dead center.

The Able Volunteers International Fund (AVIF) captures of a slice of life in rural Kenya under natural outdoor lighting. The natural light shows young goat hoarders with their tribe of goats amidst a dry landscape in full detail. The photo illustrates where AVIF carries out their sustainable development community works.

Wolf Haven International’s photo with its incredible up-close detail of two wolves it has rescued demonstrates why it’s worthwhile to invest in good digital story telling equipment. The photos were taken with a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, capable of taking higher quality photos than standard point-and-shoot or mobile phone cameras.

Organizations that are not in a position to purchase such equipment should consider looking to volunteers who might have such equipment to share their photography skills.

And remember with the new Facebook Timeline layout for your organization, it's all the more reason to have great photos on hand.

Eligible nonprofits and libraries can receive donation Flickr Pro accounts through TechSoup, an excellent way to share, store, and sort your organization's photos.

Susan Chavez
Online Community & Social Media Team, TechSoup Global
@Susan_Chavez

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Picture This: TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge

Picture This: TechSoup Digital Storytelling Challenge

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