Ice bells on a stream leading to Yellowstone's Madison River. Photographed during a conservation article assignment on the Madison River.
A large part of photography is seeing – and interpreting – what goes on around oneself in the world. It’s our job to document the events, people, and places around us.
There’s that word… document. For photographers, ‘document’ often brings to mind images of sitting in boring conference rooms, taking pictures of proceedings. Covering an event that doesn’t seem to have much of an impact on the world. Something that has no interest at all to you personally.
But documentary photography does not have to be a boring series of images.
Documentary work has always been one of my favorite methods of work. Maybe it’s part of my bookish, technical side coming out. I don’t know. But I was surprised when carrying on a conversation with a fellow photographer this past week to find that he – a professional photojournalist – really didn’t care for documentary work. “I’d rather be shooting fun stuff,” was one comment that escaped his lips. But this unexpected comment lead to quite a discussion.
The key is this: don’t be afraid to get creative. Some of my favorite documentary work has come after I’ve captured the “standard” shots for the story and I felt like I had a bit of leeway to get creative. Don’t be afraid to take some angles that normally wouldn’t be used in documentary work. Capture the small bits – pieces of a costume, the side of a truck, one riffle on a great river.
Somehow, when I throw in a couple of the creative shots in the submission to the editor, those images are often selected for publication. And I’m asked for more.
In the end photography is all about creativity and the way we ourselves interpret the universe. No matter the assignment, don’t be afraid to see through your own eyes… and lens.
Tags: Techniques
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