> 6 minute read

How to Excel at Documentary Photography

Your camera is possibly the most powerful storytelling machine you own. Put it to good use by documenting the topics and issues that are important to you, then communicating your ideas to the world.

Photography is one of the best storytelling mediums out there. Even in this age of 24-hour breaking news coverage, a good still photo can do the job better – staying in the audience’s memories and resonating with their emotions.

Photojournalism is also one of the most accessible genres in photography. While many extraordinary photo stories have been framed in war zones, at religious festivals, and on record-breaking expeditions, other award-winning projects have been made closer to home – in some cases, on the photographer’s doorstep.

Picking a Subject

This brings us to the first rule of photojournalism: pick a subject that fascinates you and tell its story. And there is no need to journey to the other side of the world to do this when there are so many captivating stories right on our doorsteps. You could document a change that’s happening in your neighbourhood at the moment, or spend some time with the owners of a much-loved local business. If you are passionate about the environment and climate change, you could make this the centre of your project. Or you could really challenge yourself by telling the story of something you don’t necessarily agree with.

This is a process you should take your time with. Do lots of reading and research, including creating exploration photos, and talk to other people about your concept, too. As your ideas solidify, you should start to think about the next stage – the approach you’ll take with your camera.

Adopting a Style

For your reportage project to be a success, your individual photos will need to come together and work together as a unified body of work. For this to happen, they need to have more in common than just the subject matter they depict.

© Valérie Jardin

© Valérie Jardin

© Valérie Jardin

© Valérie Jardin

The style in which you create the pictures can be this unifying thread, whether it’s something subtle that will only be noticed unconsciously (like using the same lens for every image, or the same Film Simulation mode) or something more obvious (shooting the same portrait of lots of different people).

It also pays to set some rules for your project. Is there a natural deadline by which things have to be done? Are you letting go of some of the decisions about location, for example, and giving these over to the subjects you’re photographing? Rules are really good in a documentary photography project, since they stop you from drifting off course and keep you focused on the initial aim.

That said, it’s OK to review the rules as you go along to see if they are working for you. Just make sure you have the initial aims of the project in mind when you do.

Your Kit

Usually, reportage photography requires you to be on the move, so you’ll want to reflect this in the choice of kit you carry with you. Compact prime lenses have long been the choice of documentary photographers, since they offer a good low-light performance, excellent image quality, depth-of-field control, and are compact enough to stash in the smallest of bags. Good examples are the FUJINON XF23mmF2 R WR, the XF35mmF2 R WR, and XF50mmF2 R WR, which are all fast focusers and weather-resistant, too.

Sensitivity can be important in reportage photography, and the more simplified and discreet your kit looks, the more you’ll be able to blend in and be a fly on the wall. Another good reason for paring down your kit – ditching the battery grip and choosing a small, fast lens.

What to Do With Your Pictures?

We are all guilty of making pictures then doing nothing with them, but this is not a fate that should await your documentary project. Having told your story, you need to get it out there in front of as many people as possible. There are lots of ways to do this, but you could consider:

• An exhibition. A venue like a cafe, bar, or restaurant is better than a traditional gallery, as this will get your work a much larger audience at a fraction of the cost.
• A book or zine. Self-publishing is easier than ever before. You can create a coffee table book or a basic zine that contains your pictures, interviews with your subjects, maps, diagrams, and anything else that tells your story. You can sell your publication at your exhibition or online.
• Online. Obviously your work can go online, but how about as something more than just another section on your website? You could create a bespoke microsite for your project that contains interviews, background material, extra pictures, and even the ability for your audience to leave comments of their own.

Your Next Steps

• CHALLENGE We’d love to see your documentary projects. Post online as you’re producing them using the hashtags #learnwithfujifilm and #documentaryproject, and let us know when you’ve finished it and where it’s going, too. You can also submit your work here for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.