I came across this slideshow (below) on globalpost.com and thought it was an excellent example of what a good slideshow should be. It has interesting photos, compelling subject matter, and great narration. Granted, it is a slideshow from a patrol in Afghanistan. The one positive aspect of war, if such a thing exists, is that it always produces great photos and stories. But you don’t need a war to effectively present a story in slideshow format.

The reporter, Finbarr O’Reilly, uses his photos to tell the story, while his narration reflects the mood and actions taking place. There are a lot of shots of soldiers marching,  soldiers in frantic combat, soldiers engulfed in dust clouds. The reporter talks about the “fog of war” and the lack of a clear strategy; the uncertainty felt by soldiers about a war that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight. The selection of photos and the tone of the narration work together perfectly to paint the picture of an uncertain and dangerous situation.

Another reason I love this slideshow is for its lack of cutlines. “Every photo needs a cutline” is a line that most journalists have probably heard before. But for a slideshow like this, I believe cutlines would only distract from the photos and narration.

Of course, most of us are probably more comfortable writing cutlines than recording narration. But you don’t have to be Morgan Freeman to be able to speak into a microphone and tell a story. View the slideshow below and consider how it would be without narration and with text at the bottom of every photo. It simply wouldn’t work.