The magazine sometimes publishes photographic series in sequential narratives, like a silent film or visual novella, some spreads unfold story-like, where each photo is a frame in a visual narrative. The magazine may show a person's body moving through space and time, capturing their emotions and actions along the way. It can be a portrait series that reveals an individual's personal life over days, weeks, months, or years. Or it could tell a story about a group of people interacting with one another, or in relationship to each other, across time and space. Sometimes the photos don't even need to be taken in order, but when placed together create a sense of continuity and movement. These stories can vary from whimsical and playful to melancholy and profound, and everything in between. They are often accompanied by captions or text boxes that provide context for the photos. For example, in an issue featuring a woman who works as a stripper at night, the photos might move from her home life during the day, to her job at night, back again. Another feature might follow a family over generations, capturing them at different ages and locations. Photographers have long used this technique to explore ideas and document their world, but now magazines are using it too.
The photographs used in these features can range from candid shots to staged ones, but they all aim to evoke feelings and tell a story. When writing about intimacy, eroticism, sex, sexuality, relationships, and gender, consider how photography can amplify those themes. Magazines often use photography to capture moments of vulnerability and connection, which are essential to any close relationship. One photo spread might show two lovers kissing passionately on a beach, while another shows a man holding his baby daughter as she falls asleep. The magazine may also focus on body language and gestures, like how a couple holds hands or stands close together. Some series might explore power dynamics within relationships, such as one partner dominating another physically or emotionally. Others might delve into taboo topics, such as BDSM, polyamory, non-monogamy, kink, fetish, or transgender identity. These stories don't necessarily require nudity or explicit content; they just need to be honest and open about what's happening between people.