How do you tell a story in a split second?

Photographers hold in their hands a powerful tool that enables them to capture a moment in time. The concept of telling a story in mere milliseconds is nothing new, but the ability to layer narratives within a single frame, express emotion and document history is a skill that photographers can spend years perfecting.

So how do the professionals do it? Ahead of the 2022 Redline Challenge, on the theme of A Split Second Story, we spoke to five Canon Ambassadors working in different photographic genres, to understand how they interpret storytelling and capture meaning in a single image.

Born in the UK to Egyptian parents, the work of documentary photographer Laura El-Tantawy is underpinned by a narrative of identity and belonging. Helen Bartlett is one of the UK's most respected family photographers, choosing to shoot in black and white in natural surroundings to allow her subjects space to tell their story. Kenyan wildlife photographer Clement Kiragu is known for his striking images and believes he can give animals a voice and use photography to tell their stories. Poland's Marcin Kin has travelled the globe, capturing the intricacies of extreme sports. The final Ambassador to share their take on storytelling with photography is South African photojournalist Gulshan Khan, who aims to bring attention to the issues she sees around her, such as plastic pollution, access to water, safe housing and gender.

Laura is no stranger to telling a story within a single frame. Her experience of growing up between two cultures led to her exploring ideas of community and identity, often through abstract and impressionist images. With such powerful themes in her work, Laura views storytelling as more of an emotional concept.

The photo of crowds in Tahrir Square, above, was taken as Laura looked down on the streets of Cairo during a time of political unrest and saw strangers congregating in pairs or small groups. "I just wanted to express what I was seeing in front of me, the sense of euphoria, feeling like you're in a dream state of some sort. It was really about feeling what was happening at that moment and being guided by what was happening around me," she says.

Marcin is recognisable for his distinctive extreme sports photography. When trying to tell a story he searches for unique ways to show the speed of a sport, for example water, mud or dust in the air. For him, the perfect image is "when you don't need to talk about it. When you just look at the picture and know all the answers – that's a good photo."

He loves the image, above, because it reveals so much about the sport. "Hard enduro is so technical. It's hard to do, and it's risky with the speed. You need to know your bike and your body," he says.

Marcin's advice for photographers who want to capture the story behind a sport is to find out as much as you can about it, so you know what to expect. He says it also helps when you use a camera and lens with image stabilisation. Marcin suggests practising how to capture motion by photographing on the side of a road. He sets the shutter speed as high as possible and his aperture as wide as the lens will allow, then sets the ISO to 6400 or higher.

Helen takes inspiration from her belief that each family has their own unique energy. She shoots on location, freezing fleeting moments and harnessing emotion and takes a wide approach to storytelling, explaining, "A story can be an action, an interaction, it can be a relationship between people. A story can be a big moment, or it can be a very small moment. It can be a child kicking a ball, jumping in the air, or it can be a glance between two people."

Referring to the image of the boy in the pool, Helen says: "I love this image because it captures the essence of youth. He's bursting out of the pool; he's bursting into his future – he's growing up."

Helen shoots in black and white because she believes it gives her images an enduring quality. "I feel it gives me the best chance to take a picture that will last for a long time," she adds. "I want to tell a story about people, and I find that black and white really cuts to the essentials of an image – it takes out distractions."

Before taking an image, Helen recommends building a relationship with your subject. "It's about creating a connection. Then they'll open up and you'll be able to tell their story. By bringing those stories out that way, we get a sense of who they are as a person."

Gulshan is celebrated for using her photographic work to bring attention to social justice and human rights issues. She finds stories that have not been given a voice and uses her work to highlight these issues. "Storytelling is everything in photography. I believe that every image has a story behind it. The image doesn't exist in isolation," she says.

The same logic applies to Gulshan's image of the salsa dancers in Johannesburg, above. "It's such a vibrant, beautiful community," she explains. "I predicted that this was going to be the moment and I waited for it. That comes from being immersed in the scene, enjoying yourself, enjoying the music, enjoying the movements and the dancing."

When asked for advice on storytelling through photography, Gulshan explains that making a split-second image doesn't always mean you're only there for a split second. "It seems counterintuitive, but often I believe that to be able to make those images in a split second, you have to have patience. Understand the scene, introduce yourself and speak to people. Become part of the scene so you're ready when the time comes." She also suggests photographers challenge themselves by creating an image with layers of detail, incorporating balance and perspective that encourages the audience to find something new each time it's viewed.

Clement is known for captivating images of wildlife, with animals often basking in the soft haze of a sunset, and he regularly photographs in black and white.

Clement believes that storytelling with photography is a form of communication. "If you go out in a national park and you find a pride of lions, capture their interactions because there are family dynamics in every species."

Storytelling through photography is a form of art, and it takes skill, practice and perseverance to perfect. As our five pros have shown, there is no one way to tell a story; everyone has a different approach. Gulshan has one final piece of advice: "If there is one thing to take home, it would be to know yourself, to trust your gut, to do the work, to heal. Know the people around you, work with empathy and work with mindfulness. I believe that with this authenticity you can create beautiful images."