Start your story with somebody taking a photo.

Posted in Adventure on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 75 stories

“Life in Black and White” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #144

Life in Black and White Behind the lens “Just scooch in a little closer — there you go! Thank you. Now, hold the pose… just a few seconds… look right here and smile!…” Click! Whrrr… “Beautiful!” Clint was satisfied. He had a feeling this one would turn out well — a photograph that told a story without words. A story of the love of a father for his children. It was Clint’s dream to open his own photography studio someday. Until then, it was a hobby. His fascination with photography had begun when he was young, maybe the age of the boy...

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“Beautiful Girl” by Andrea Doig

Submitted to Contest #144

“Yes, yes! That’s it – now smile. Not so wide, more seductively. Tilt your – yes! No! Stop blinking!” He rolls his eyes heavenward and sighs. Her shoulders slump and her not- so-seductive smile disappears. But when he looks up at her again with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, her smile is back, and her head is perfectly tilted. “Sorry, Jed. It was a late night again. I’m ready now.” With a sigh of a thousand sighs, he points the camera at her and pulls the trigger again. This time she does not blink at the explosion of light but mainta...

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“Photograph of your dreams” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #144

She clicks the button of her film camera, capturing the gleeful faces of graduates huddled together in the lobby of the university. The lobby, sterile, colourful and featureless contrasts sharply with the warm humanity captured inside these photographs. She clicks the button of her camera again, and she clicks it again and when the click weakens she knows that there is no film left. The pride on the faces of the graduates washes away at the hollow click, leaving only disappointment. This almost breaks her heart. “I’ll be back”, she says, doi...

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“Among the Stars!” by Calvin Kirby

Submitted to Contest #144

Among the Stars! By Cal Kirby I was a kind of nervous when I asked Jack Warden if I could take a photo of him. He said, “Sure.” And then I was a nervous wreck when I asked Al Pacino the same thing and he also agreed. Wow, two stars right there and I was among them! Back in 1979 when I was working part-time in film, TV and on stage, I got a call from my agent, at my regular day-time job, and was asked if I could work for five days in a movie as a stand-in for Jack Warden? I immediately said yes and then asked for particulars. Dagmar said, in...

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“Enter the Darkside ” by Mike Panasitti

Submitted to Contest #144

Orange County Jail deputy Dung Nguyen was lean, petulant, and, according to his more experienced fellow officers, “squint-eyed.” Only six months on the job, he had become notorious amongst his co-workers for his short-fused temper. “Hey, Snoop, look at the camera,” Nguyen said to Tay Schwartz, in reference to the inmate's hair style. Tay's corn rows, however, were not as neatly groomed as the rapper's. &nbsp...

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“Penny's Unicorn” by Melony Beard

Submitted to Contest #144

I snapped a photo of the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes on standing beneath a huge oak tree.She had silky white fur covering her entire body. One single horn stood on her head glowing hues of pinks, purples and blues. A long sparkling violet tail whipped in the wind as she struggled to flap her rainbow colored wings and fly away.I knew better, but I crossed the property line to get closer. I knelt beside her and patted her snowy white head. Her frightened eyes shimmered with tears. I followed her helpless gaze and that's when I s...

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“Darling” by Simrin Dhillon

Submitted to Contest #144

TW: allusions to mental and physical abuse "Say cheese!” I chirped happily. Darling screamed at me from behind the duct tape on his curved lips, tears rolling down his long face as he struggled against the ropes on his hands to no avail. I had spent months practicing those knots and it was safe to say he was tied firmly to the chair beneath him. I shook my head and bent down to be in frame with him, smiling into the camera that I held with my outstretched hand before snapping a picture, the film rolling with a purr as the photo ...

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“The Wanted One” by Kelsey H

Submitted to Contest #144

Offensive language & mention of drug useShe’s crazy as hell, my mother is, though if anyone else said it I’d kick their head in. But I was my father’s son, everyone said so. I let them say that.When I’d left the house she was flinging all the windows open, saying it might explode from the change in air pressure. She tried to stop me when I told her I was going to Holly’s place, but the kitchen door was already wide open and I walked out.“It’s just a storm, not a damn tornado, and we don’t even have those here anyway,” I’d told her.But sh...

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“I'll Be Damned, I Won” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #144

I’d conquered the world. What next? Only one thing. A spent day to enjoy my victory. I stood on a balcony overlooking the capital as the parade roared beneath me. They hated me really. All of them. My citizens. I brought them death and destruction. I turned good men into proficient killers to remove the borders on the maps. “Ready or not. It’s time to go,” the demon’s voice. The evil god I sold my so...

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“The Last Time We Spoke” by Amanda Blackwood

Submitted to Contest #144

It had become routine for the two of us by then and neither of us thought much of it when I held up the phone and took that hilarious photo. The two of us were celebrating my birthday more than a month late while we sat alone in a Chili’s. A single candle stuck out of a brownie sundae. We were both making faces, he with his eyes crossed, and me with my tongue sticking out in the shape of a straw. We took a couple other photos too, but they were the normal smiling faces people were accustomed to seeing on the internet. I couldn’t have been mo...

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“Seoul Origin” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #144

Minjun was taking a polaroid photo of a long empty corridor in Seoul’s Incheon airport when the old man with an octopus called out.“You look like you need someone to talk to, have a seat,” he pointed toward the chair next to him, one in an endless line of empty chairs. An orange glow from the lingering dusk poured in from the windows facing the Yellow Sea, bathing everything in warm colors.Minjum scrunched his face into a scowl. Unwanted come-ons happened often these days. But the man appeared different from the usual perverts and loudmouths...

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“Romantic Exposure Therapy” by Heather Winslow

Submitted to Contest #144

He puts his arms around me, in a gentle and non-overbearing way—this is still new to me. He then reaches his hand above and away from our faces and takes a picture. My face looks pale, but I love it. The field of wildflowers that resemble their maker the sun, is our backdrop. I am glad he took this photo. It will remind me of the time I was sick, and my new love still showed up that weekend with soup and a bouquet of flowers. We continue to walk on the trail. I am dizzy, weak, and out of breath. Somehow the strong grip that is wrapped aro...

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“The Lost Soul” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #144

The bar was crowded, but not enough to block the flash of light I caught in the corner of my eye. Did someone just take a picture of me? I looked around, hoping to find the culprit, but my efforts were in vain. I took another sip of my drink, I turned my mind to other matters, which being the hot stud playing pool. It has been a while since I slept with anyone, and if wanted anyone to break my dry spell, he would be my choice. Downing my drink, I hopped off the barstool and began to stagger towards the pool table. Before I even took two step...

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“Hazel's Secret” by Tammy Berry-Castleman

Submitted to Contest #144

The phone jarred the interior of the cabin early afternoon that Spring day in 2018. Sara Lou was unprepared for the news. The woman spoke in a voice that was unknown, yet vaguely familiar. Sara Lou had to sit down.The call took Sara Lou back in time to sweltering childhood days in brambly green pastures surrounded by swamp. Time stopped and lightening bugs danced around immense Cypress trees in the balmy dusk. A mysterious journey, whisperings, and the deepest of family secrets. It all started swirling back to her as if in a dream. But she w...

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“The Relationship” by Deanna Weigel

Submitted to Contest #144

*The following story contains a scene of physical violence, as well as displays of mental illness* “Can you take a picture of us?” I had been reading a pamphlet about the history of the building, but at the question, I looked up. A young man was handing his phone over to me with a questioning look on his face. I smiled and nodded as I always did when a couple needed a picture taken. After all, this was not an unusual question when you traveled by yourself. “Say cheese!” I directed in a sing-song voice. They smiled and posed and I snapped ...

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Start your story with somebody taking a photo.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 75 stories

“Life in Black and White” by Cindy Strube

“Beautiful Girl” by Andrea Doig

“Photograph of your dreams” by Herman W Clarke

“Among the Stars!” by Calvin Kirby

“Enter the Darkside ” by Mike Panasitti

“Penny's Unicorn” by Melony Beard

“Darling” by Simrin Dhillon

“The Wanted One” by Kelsey H

“I'll Be Damned, I Won” by Graham Kinross

“The Last Time We Spoke” by Amanda Blackwood

“Seoul Origin” by Scott Christenson

“Romantic Exposure Therapy” by Heather Winslow

“The Lost Soul” by Howard Seeley

“Hazel's Secret” by Tammy Berry-Castleman

“The Relationship” by Deanna Weigel

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a wedding photographer.

A character finds an old roll of film, and takes it to be developed. What do they find?

Write about a character who’s pathologically camera shy.

Write a story that centres around an Instagram post.

Contest #144

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

192

Contest entries

114

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: