documentary

Photographer Captures Eerie Images of Venice Underwater

This past November, Venice experienced its worst flooding in over 50 years, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency. But while news of the flooding caused thousands to cancel their travel plans, photographer Natalia Elena Massi did the exact opposite: she packed her bags and drove to Venice.

Are Street and Documentary Photography Art?

I think the question of whether something is or is not "art" is a bit disingenuous, often used more as a tool for gatekeeping than true analysis or critique. There is no objective standard for what makes something enjoyable as a piece of art, whether that's a photograph, music, sculpture, or a blade of grass in a field.

Photographing the Demise of Martin Tower

For those not from a certain area of Pennsylvania, you likely have never heard of Martin Tower or knew that it was imploded in a spectacular way earlier this year. But for those in the Lehigh Valley, the third-largest metropolitan area in PA, Martin Tower served as a symbol of many meanings, from the fall of one of the greatest steel companies in the world to a landmark whose relief stood out in stark contrast to the surrounding landscape.

Why Shoot Documentary Photography on Film?

Shooting a long term project, whether personal or professional, is a wonderful way to explore areas of photography you might not have previously considered. I know of photographers who have experimented with different types of filters, post-processing techniques, actual shooting methods (long exposure, panning, unfamiliar/conventional focal lengths), and so on, as their projects evolve.

Lessons Learned After 250 Documentary Photography Assignments

Recently I hit a milestone in my photographer's career: I've accomplished 250 paid assignments. It took me ten years and half a million frames to get there. I thought it's a decent reason to reflect a little bit on what has been done and what the journey feels like.

A Photographer’s Journey to Yemen to Shoot the Dragon Blood Tree

Yemen isn't exactly a popular destination among photographers these days. The US government has issued a "Do Not Travel" advisory for the country, warning that there's a risk of terrorism, civil unrest, health risks, kidnapping, and armed conflict. But photographer Marsel van Oosten recently traveled to the Yemeni island of Socotra, the "jewel of the Arabian Sea," to photograph the dragon blood tree.

Photos of Manggarai Warrior Caci Whip Fights in Flores, Indonesia

Indonesia is an incredible archipelago containing thousands of islands, hundreds of volcanoes, tribes, dialects, and cultures. After exploring Java, Bali, and Lombok, I traveled to Flores where I witnessed something truly unexpected.

This Photo Was Not Staged: Wedding Photojournalism vs Photojournalism

This is an unposed, naturally caught moment at Rachael and Carl’s wedding at The Vineyard in Stockcross, Berkshire. It’s recently won a couple of awards from This is Reportage and the Wedding Photojournalist Association. It’s a striking image, and drew some criticism that it must be staged, or was not photojournalism. So I thought I’d explain why I believe this is wedding photojournalism, and how I came about taking this image.

Photo History: How Edward Weston Processed His Photos

Legendary photographer Edward Weston was one of the most influential photographers in American history, and in this short video, we get to go back in time, visit his home, and watch him process one of his negatives from start to finish.

Photos of Kyrgyzstan, The Beauty of the South

The first time I visited Kyrgyzstan, I explored a bit of everything. The second time, I focused on the south shore of Issyk-kul Lake, where I mostly found impressive canyons and dry landscapes. This time I decided to visit the South of Kyrgyzstan.

An Inside Look at How the Fujifilm GFX 100 Was Born

Last month, Fujifilm announced the GFX 100, a game-changing 102-megapixel medium format mirrorless camera. cinema5D has released a 2-part documentary that gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how this monster of a camera came to be.

How I Shot My Own Wildlife Short Film for Less Than $100

As a true fan of the wildlife documentary genre, I have been itching to create my own short wildlife video project ever since I started doing wildlife photography. That being said, and despite having some previous experience with videography and video editing, producing a high-quality wildlife video always seemed like a too difficult task for a single person with a non-existent budget and some pretty basic gear, and so I never pushed myself into trying it.

This Documentary Film Exposes How People Cheat at Instagram

#followme is a new documentary film about Instagram released on Instagram. The 49-minute film aims to expose the "lawless economics of Instagram," diving into the "shocking" world beneath the surface of a photo-sharing social network that's home to 1 billion active users.

Photographing a Floral Float Parade Over a Century Old

For over a hundred years, a parade of floral floats called Corso Fleuri de la Mi-Carême has been held in the village of Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the Provence region of France.

Photos Inside the Art Institute of Seattle After it Abruptly Closed

I photographed the Art Institute of Seattle 3 days after it was abruptly shut down. I taught photography at AiS since October 2007. I think it is important for these images to get out as this is what it looks like when a school closes.

Photographing Coffee and Cacao in Peru

I was assigned by Fair Trade to go to northern Peru and photograph cacao and coffee production for the Australian and New Zealand markets. The idea was to show a little of the story of both products and the people behind them before they make it to your cup. I am a very enthusiastic consumer of both coffee and chocolate, in liquid or slab form. So as far as I was concerned, it was an assignment made in food heaven.

Photographing the Fake Holy Men of Varanasi, India

"Where should we go?" Melissa, my girlfriend, was trying to narrow down what seemed like a mountain of possibilities-places that were worthy of exploration. After a month of repeating that same question a million times, we finally settled on India.

How Misconceptions Can Affect Your Travel Photography Project

There is a particular obstacle that stands in the way of almost all travel, documentary and cultural photographers alike and, for some reason, no one seems to be willing to talk about it -- so I'm going to.

Film Follows Photographer Jay Maisel’s Move from His $55M NYC Studio

In 1966, photographer Jay Maisel spent $102,000 buying a 6-floor, 35,000-square-foot, 72-room building in New York City that would become his home and studio for the next half-century. In 2015, he sold the building for $55 million. Now a new documentary film is offering an inside look at the artist's final days inside the one-of-a-kind space.

Photographing Paradise, California, After the Camp Fire

Paradise, California lies just 90 minutes north of Sacramento, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Home to 26,000 people, Paradise includes several mobile home parks and is known as a retirement haven.