photo essay

American  

noun

1. a group of photographs, usually with supplementary text, that conveys a unified story and is published as a book or as a feature in a magazine or newspaper.

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Other Word Forms

• photo essayist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of photo essay

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

It was my first-ever photo essay, and it introduced me to a bunch of fun chefs in a matter of weeks.

From Salon • Jul. 15, 2025

This photo essay is a testament to the fact that great things happen when you put it in park and hop out.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2023

This is what winter in the Pacific Northwest looks like on the day with the shortest period of daylight: a photo essay by The Seattle Times’ staff photographers.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2023

The second and more relevant photo essay was “A Man Becomes Invisible,” a Life story celebrating the publication of “Invisible Man” in 1952.

From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2022

The English teacher said we had to turn in a term paper or a photo essay on somebody we admired.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers