Visual Storytelling / the Establishing Shot

In the world of movies, photography or children’s book illustration, the establishing shot is one of the most important as it sets the stage for where the action to follow will take place. Typically it’s a scenic shot taken from quite a distance away and could be represented by a wide shot of the Eiffel Tower (if the story takes place in France), a train station, a field of flowers…well, you get the general idea!