Independent Project ADPA600 - 2010958 - Daniel James Phillips
Introduction
For my Independent Project, I am exploring how emotion and authenticity can improve the way outdoor photography workshops are marketed. In my own work, I have seen that audiences connect far more with content that feels honest, personal and rooted in real experiences. This project gives me the chance to understand why that is, and how emotional storytelling can be used intentionally through film, photography and written communication.
The practical output will be a promotional package for a wildlife and landscape photography workshop on the Isle of Skye, including a short film, a stills portfolio, a brochure and a webpage. These materials will allow me to test ideas from my research in a real creative context.
Overall, this project lets me combine academic investigation with practical fieldwork and creative production, while developing a more thoughtful and informed approach to how I present my work and future workshops.
Research Question
How can emotion and authenticity enhance the effectiveness of marketing for outdoor photography workshops?
Aims
The aim of this project is to understand how emotional and authentic storytelling influences audience engagement, and to apply this knowledge to the marketing of a photography workshop.
Objectives
Research key theories on emotional branding, authenticity and visual storytelling.
Analyse existing workshop marketing (Nikon School, Carmarthen Cameras, Skye Photo Academy, Harry Martin, etc).
Carry out fieldwork on the Isle of Skye to gather visuals and observations.
Produce a promotional film, brochure, webpage and photography portfolio.
Reflect on how theory and practice connect, and evaluate what works.
Methodology
My methodology combines academic research, fieldwork and creative practice. I will begin with a literature review focused on authenticity, emotional branding and audience behaviour, supported by an analysis of existing workshop advertising. I will also complete a recce on the Isle of Skye to gather early visuals, location notes and reflections on the practical aspects of running a workshop in this environment.
Using this research, I will produce a short promotional film and accompanying marketing materials that apply emotional and authentic storytelling techniques. Throughout the project, I will use reflective writing to connect my creative decisions to the theory, and to evaluate how well emotional authenticity translates into real marketing materials.
Literature Review
Authenticity is a central part of how I work as a photographer and filmmaker, particularly when I am creating images in natural environments. Although my photographs are edited and curated, the intention behind them is always to represent moments as I genuinely experienced them. My aim is not to record an objective truth but to convey what felt significant, such as the atmosphere, the quietness, the tension of waiting, or the emotional resonance of a fleeting wildlife encounter. Berger (1972) writes that “the relation between what we see and what we know is never settled,” which suggests that every image is shaped by the experiences, memories and emotions of the person making it. In this sense, authenticity for me lies in emotional fidelity. I want to express what the moment meant rather than simply what it looked like. This approach shapes both my creative work and the way I believe a nature photography workshop should be marketed. The Skye workshop is not simply about directing people toward iconic locations. It is about sharing the genuine feeling of being there.
Marketing literature positions authenticity as a crucial factor in how audiences evaluate creative brands. Beverland (2005) argues that authentic brands demonstrate heritage, stylistic consistency, quality commitments and sincerity, which are qualities closely linked to the slow, process driven nature of wildlife photography. Jiang’s (2022) study shows that “perceived ad authenticity has a significant positive effect on advertising value and consumer engagement intention.” Audiences are more likely to trust and respond to material that feels honest and grounded rather than overtly commercial. This is particularly relevant in creative and experiential sectors where the emotional tone of marketing media can directly influence how people imagine the experience being sold.
The wider cultural demand for realness reinforces these ideas. Edelman’s (2021) global trust research shows that audiences increasingly value authenticity and transparency when engaging with brands, with trust becoming a key factor in how media and marketing are perceived. This distrust of idealised imagery is especially relevant to nature photography marketing. Many workshops are advertised with perfect conditions, dramatic skies and implied guarantees of wildlife sightings. This can create unrealistic expectations. In contrast, reflective and honest storytelling may feel more credible and align more closely with what audiences expect from a contemporary creative practice.
Photography theory broadens the discussion by examining how images foster emotional connection. Barthes’ Camera Lucida (1980) is influential because of his idea of the punctum, the detail that “pricks” the viewer and creates a distinctly personal emotional response. This suggests that authenticity in photography is not about perfection but about resonance. A quiet atmospheric moment on Skye may feel more truthful to a viewer than a dramatic image shaped heavily by post production techniques. Sontag (1977) cautions that photographs have the power to “beautify” reality, which can distort how we understand the natural world. Her critique highlights a tension in marketing. The more a workshop is presented as effortless or cinematic, the further the imagery risks drifting from genuine experience.
Film theory supports this through concepts that describe how honesty and emotion operate in moving images. Nichols’ Introduction to Documentary (2017) outlines the observational mode as an approach in which the filmmaker simply observes and allows events to unfold. This aligns closely with how I film nature, where the landscape and the wildlife dictate the pace and structure of what is captured. Nichols also describes the poetic mode, which prioritises atmosphere, rhythm and mood. This reflects my creative relationship with Skye. These ideas suggest that authenticity in film comes not from factual explanation but from sincerity of expression. A promotional film that uses reflective voiceover, natural sound and atmospheric cinematography is more likely to feel truthful than a conventional advertisement.
Research on human relationships with nature further deepens this discussion. Harari (2014) notes that for most of human history, people lived in direct interaction with natural environments. Our emotional responses to landscapes and wildlife are rooted in these ancient experiences. Ryan (2019) argues that modern life creates a sense of disconnection from nature, which makes moments of immersion feel emotionally restorative. Thurston’s (2019) accounts of wildlife photography emphasise that authenticity arises from patience, difficulty and unpredictability. These qualities mirror the reality of working in Scottish weather and suggest that authentic imagery carries emotional weight precisely because it reflects lived effort rather than idealised circumstance.
Digital media research clarifies how audiences interpret authenticity today. Jenkins (2006) describes contemporary audiences as part of a participatory culture. People expect transparency and insight into process rather than only finished work. This is especially relevant to photography workshops, where audiences often want to see how images were made. Instagram studies reinforce this idea. Trillò et al. (2021) found that users responded more positively to imagery perceived as natural, unfiltered and personal. This reflects a broader cultural shift toward valuing storytellers who reveal vulnerability and subjectivity.
Examples from professional wildlife photography illustrate how these principles function in real practice. Ben Hall is known for emphasising ethical practice, patience and respect for wildlife. These values form part of his public identity and contribute to audience trust. Harry Skeggs blends fine art aesthetics with conservation messaging and relies heavily on personal philosophy and emotional storytelling. Both photographers demonstrate that authenticity is not simply a visual style. It is an ethos communicated through creative choices, written reflections and the consistency of a person’s practice.
Together these ideas show that authenticity functions on several interconnected levels. It can be an emotional quality in the images themselves, an ethical stance in how photography is approached, a communication strategy within marketing and an expectation shaped by online culture. For a nature photography workshop on the Isle of Skye, the literature indicates that authenticity should be a guiding principle rather than an aesthetic afterthought. Marketing media that reflects my relationship with the landscape including its unpredictability, atmosphere and emotional impact may resonate more strongly with audiences who want meaningful experiences. Instead of promising perfect conditions or guaranteed wildlife, an authentic and reflective film invites viewers into the true sensation of Skye. In this way my personal philosophy aligns with contemporary research on authenticity and emotion and provides a clear foundation for the development of the project.
Authenticity Measurement Framework
Research on authenticity increasingly shows that it can be examined through identifiable signals rather than treated only as a subjective feeling. Napoli et al. (2014) state that authenticity “can be assessed through observable cues,” and Morhart et al. (2015) argue that audiences rely on specific indicators such as credibility and integrity when judging whether something feels genuine. However, these models were created for commercial branding and do not translate directly to outdoor media, which is shaped by weather, unpredictability and personal experience.
Outdoor and adventure-based storytelling carries its own expectations. Jenkins (2006) notes that contemporary audiences “demand transparency,” while Rose and Wood (2005) highlight that trust depends on maintaining a credible relationship between what is shown and what people recognise from real experience. For nature photography in particular, exaggeration or overly polished imagery risks breaking this trust. This creates a clear need for a framework suited to outdoor creative practice.
The framework presented here adapts ideas from authenticity research but translates them into accessible categories that anyone can use to evaluate media. Following Grayson and Martinec’s (2004) view that authenticity is “graded rather than absolute,” the system uses ten categories scored on a scale of one to ten, producing a final percentage that reflects the overall authenticity of a piece of media. The aim is not to measure technical skill, but to assess how convincingly the work communicates honesty, emotional truth and a sense of real place.
The categories in this framework are grounded in widely recognised ideas within authenticity and media research. Scholars such as Beverland (2005), Grayson and Martinec (2004) and Morhart et al. (2015) emphasise that authenticity is not a single quality but something audiences judge through a combination of honesty, emotional credibility, coherence and perceived integrity. Media theorists including Sontag (1977) and Nichols (2017) further show that naturalness, transparency and ethical presentation shape how viewers interpret the truthfulness of visual work, particularly when imagery is tied to real environments. These ideas collectively support a simplified set of categories that anyone can use to assess authenticity in outdoor and nature-based media, focusing on accessible cues such as honesty, clarity, emotional realism, sense of place, relatability and realistic expectations. The aim of this framework is not to evaluate technical skill but to consider how convincingly a piece of media communicates sincerity, personal voice and a grounded connection to real experience.
The scoring system for this framework was designed to make the evaluation of authenticity structured, accessible and easy for non-specialists to use. Its structure was inspired by educational grading rubrics, which break complex concepts into manageable criteria so that judgements can be made consistently. This mirrors the need to evaluate authenticity through multiple observable qualities rather than relying on intuition alone. Rubrics provide structured criteria that allow subjective qualities to be assessed more consistently (Reddy and Andrade, 2010). This is particularly relevant when evaluating authenticity, which is inherently interpretive.
Each category is scored from one to ten, reflecting the view that authenticity should be understood as a continuum rather than a fixed state. A ten-point scale provides enough sensitivity to capture subtle differences in how sincere or grounded a piece of media feels, while remaining simple and intuitive for any viewer to apply. The terminology of the categories was deliberately kept clear and non-technical so that the framework measures experiential and emotional qualities rather than technical skill.
The scores from all ten categories are combined to produce a total out of one hundred. This creates a final authenticity percentage that can be used to compare different pieces of media or different stages of the same project. The purpose of this scoring system is not to quantify creativity but to support reflective decision making, highlight where authenticity is being communicated effectively and identify where it may have been weakened through stylistic or editorial choices.
Purpose and Application of the Framework
This framework provides a structured way to evaluate the authenticity of marketing materials within the outdoor photography workshop industry, including both my own outputs and the work of competitors. By offering clear and accessible criteria, it creates a consistent method for examining how honesty, emotional resonance and credibility are communicated across different forms of media. It also allows me to gather responses from viewers and participants, which means that subjective impressions of authenticity can be translated into comparable results that can be analysed and reflected upon.
The framework will support decision making throughout every stage of the creative process. During planning and pre production it will help identify which ideas feel grounded and which may risk appearing exaggerated or overly idealised. During production it will guide choices around composition, tone, narrative and the balance between aesthetic refinement and natural realism. During post production it will help ensure that editing and presentation do not undermine the sincerity or emotional truth that the project aims to communicate. In addition, analysing existing workshop advertisements through this framework will clarify which industry approaches feel credible and which rely on unrealistic promises or idealised imagery. In this way the framework is not only an evaluative tool but a practical guide for improving creative outcomes.
Most importantly, the framework plays a central role in answering my research question of how emotion and authenticity can enhance the effectiveness of marketing for outdoor photography workshops. By measuring authenticity in a consistent way and comparing it with audience responses, the framework helps reveal which emotional and stylistic choices build trust, relatability and engagement. It therefore connects theoretical ideas about authenticity directly to real creative practice and provides an evidence based foundation for understanding how authentic storytelling can strengthen the communication and promotion of outdoor photography experiences.