Feed Construction
Principles of Curation
The goal of curation is to evoke a mood, sequencing images to create gestalt harmony
This is mostly done by intuition: feeling which images are powerful beside one another in the same way that one constructs an outfit or hangs artwork in their home — by trying things out
There are principles of curation which help us along the way
Here are some — they are to be used as thoughts to bounce off and experiments to try; ideas to both accept and rebel against
The Unfold app has a feed-planning function which is helpful
The following images show current photographer feeds, with reconstructed mockups applying techniques of visual art
Alternating Color for Balance
In this reconstructed feed mockup, images alternate between black and white and color
Creating Mood through Contrast
In this feed mockup, mood is achieved through contrast vs. competition
Examples of contrast include dark next to light, loud next to quiet, still next to motion and close up next to far away
Building a World: All Killer, No Filler
In this feed mockup, all of the images come from the same visual-emotional world
This type of feed is "all killer, no filler" — it does not include supplemental imagery but each image takes the viewer down the rabbit hole, powerfully
Because the images all have the same emotional power level, a gestalt effect is achieved
A Dedicated Palette
One way to achieve harmony is to use a color palette
In this feed mockup, soft and warm earth tones are paired with muted monochromes; all have light grey whites
Placement and sequence serve the god of balancing the palette
The Diverse Creator
Mood feeds are fantastic for renaissance creators – those who dabble in all sorts of mediums
The images are sequenced to suggest a rich and varied creative life
The feed chronicles not what one “does” but what they are inspired & moved by lately
Pop of Color
When thinking about ways to present a varied, multi-location feed, one way to create harmony is to be predominately black and white
In this feed mockup, monochrome to color images are interspersed in a 75:25 ratio; all images are zoomed in without borders
Negative Space through Bordered Images
In the first feed mockup, images with negative space are placed next to images full of visual information
In the second image, a former screenshot from the same photographer is shown with bordered images
For maximalist photographs with many subjects and elements, borders can help the viewer engage
Scale and Distance
In this feed mockup, portraits are sequenced with images very close up
One technique to achieve this style of harmony is to pull images from the archives and crop
Trimming the Fat: Kill Your Darlings
Many of us are photographers because we like to shoot “everything”
Within that practice, often through unpaid personal work, our unique voice emerges
If looking to level up your feed for business success or creative satisfaction, consider trimming the fat of your portfolio, removing all elements which do not conform to your highest ideals
This is known in creative writing circles as “killing your darlings” — not necessary, but often necessary for scaling business
Angle and Line in Composition
In this feed mockup, compositions are paired with diversity in mind
Feed images can tend to repeat our favorite composition: one subject, center frame, 10 feet away, for example
To achieve balance and emotional strength, consider the line your photographs make; if you squint at the feed, what directions are the lines going? Is it the same line repeated?
Including images with variations of angles and lines creates visual breadth and depth
Making Maximalism Work For You
For those who shoot maximalist images, they are works which contain a lot of visual information
Without planning, this can result in the feed looking unintentionally “chaotic”
One way to make maximalism work for you is to sequence images based on total difference: each one depicts an entirely different situation, allowing the eye to engage with them as both one multi-faceted visual universe with individual territories
