There are many ways to tell the story of my newborn’s journey into the world. Doing it visually, avoiding the endless textual details, allows for a more emotional and authentic vibe. Sharing the story of my last nine months through a series of photos was quite challenging and required a thorough understanding of visual storytelling principles. Here is my photo essay:
Narrative arch
One of the principles that guided me in this visual story was the narrative arc. I began taking pictures in chronological order, starting with a photo from nine months earlier that marked the beginning of the journey. This serves as the exposition in the story, represented by a picture on our fridge after the embryo transfer. The story then progresses with rising action through each subsequent photo. The final image shows his hand touching my finger, symbolizing our return home. This closing shot marks the story’s climax and the culmination of nine months of waiting.
Principles visual storytelling and Plutchink’s wheel
I shared our surrogacy pregnancy journey through visuals from the past nine months before we became parents. This essay aims to tell the story in an emotional, smooth way, so that the main message stays clear even with few picture captions. While making this photo essay, I stuck to four main principles of visual storytelling: each image truly shows our path to parenthood. Photos like the first ultrasound on the fridge or our first painting in the future nursery help make the story feel real. There’s also a sensory side, like the teddy bear in the car seat, waiting to be replaced by our baby boy.
According to Plutchik’s wheel of emotions, this photo essay mainly emphasizes anticipation through images such as IVF embryo transfer, Connor’s future shoes, and the teddy bear on the car seat before his birth, all of which evoke that emotion due to the long wait for the due date. Another closely related emotion on Plutchik’s wheel is Joy, shown through announcements welcoming the baby into his future bedroom and, especially at the end of the essay, through the culmination of the surrogacy process, which fosters a sense of happiness.
Font, Depth cues and Gestalt principles
Another element I chose that greatly influences the overall tone is the font in the photo essay. I selected a “Script font,” often used at baby showers, weddings, and special events. Script fonts evoke a sense of a memorable moment worth celebrating, along with amusement and fun. While creating my photo essay cover, I had the idea to overlap the clouds with the bird to give a sense that it is flying in the sky with the baby boy on its peak. In this way, the cover creates the illusion of depth in these objects, conveying a stronger message to the audience from the beginning.
While working on my photo essay, I came across Gestalt principles. For instance, the figure-ground principle is evident in ultrasound images, which use black-and-white contrast to distinguish the baby as the perceptual figure. Additionally, human perception also naturally perceives bilateral balance in the outline of the baby’s body, creating a sense of stability in the composition through the principle of symmetry.
Conclusion
I believe this visual documentation of Connor’s journey to the world left a more memorable and meaningful impact. Through this emotional essay, I aimed to open my heart to the readers, and the principles of visual storytelling helped guide the way.
References
Busche, L. (2015, October 5). Simplicity, Symmetry and More: Gestalt Theory and the Design Principles It Gave Birth To. Retrieved from Canva website: https://www.canva.com/learn/gestalt-theory/ (module 4)
Fussell, G. (2024, February 16). The Psychology of Fonts (Fonts That Evoke Emotion). Retrieved from Envato website: https://elements.envato.com/learn/the-psychology-of-fonts-fonts-that-evoke-emotion (module 3)
Lupton, E. (2017). Design is storytelling (pp. 22–25). New York, Ny: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. (module 2)
Montalto, M. (2022, May 12). Worth 1,000 words: The four principles of visual storytelling. Retrieved from amplifi website: https://amplifinp.com/blog/4-principles-visual-storytelling/ (module 1)
Overlap [Art & Design Foundations]. (2025). Retrieved December 1, 2025, from Nmu.edu website: http://artnet.nmu.edu/foundations/doku.php?id=overlap (module 4)
Putting Some Emotion into Your Design – Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions. (2015, December 22). Retrieved November 30, 2025, from The Interaction Design Foundation website: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/putting-some-emotion-into-your-design-plutchik-s-wheel-of-emotions#plutchik%E2%80%99s_psycho-evolutionary_theory_of_emotion-0 (module 3)
Stout, T. (2011, September 3). How to Use 3-Act Story Structure in Comic Strips. Retrieved from Tim Stout website: https://timstout.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/how-to-use-3-act-story-structure-in-comic-strips/ (module 2)
