Documentary Photography: Courses, Documentaries, books & Talks

Documentary photography
Written By Nigel Rumsey

I started this list of online courses, documentaries, books and talks while studying documentary photography and photojournalism during the UK’s coronavirus lockdown. Since then, thanks to the contributions of others, it has continued to grow. My interests are documentary photography, photojournalism, and investigative journalism, so this list reflects that; however, many of the organisations offer courses in related areas that may be of interest.

There is a vast range of tutorials on YouTube, CreativeLive, Linda, Domestika, Skillshare and Udemy. Some are excellent; many are not. I don't intend to cover those here; the quality is too inconsistent, and it would be a full-time job. I will list those created by recognised educational organisations, established practitioners or established companies in the field, VII Agency, Magnum, Nikon, etc.

The small print: Please be aware that listing here doesn't indicate I've taken the course – in the vast majority of the cases, I haven't – or that I recommend it. This is purely a resource that may be useful.

The documentaries are available on a wide range of platforms, from BBC and DVD to Netflix and YouTube. I'm adding streaming links as I come across them.

Jump to the section:

If you have any resources to recommend, please email nigel.rumsey@gmail.com

(updated: 10 March 2024)

articles and blog posts

courses & classes: commercial

  • Duckrabbit is an award-winning film production and training company. They hold a mini-documentary workshop, which I have my eye on. Training was suspended for COVID, but if you’re interested, add your name to their mailing list - maybe I’ll see you there.

  • Eyes in Progress offers a range of masterclasses and mentoring. Tutors include Alec Soth, Anders Petersen, Mark Power and Todd Hido - this really is the A to Z of top-flight contemporary photography.

  • The highly respected International Centre of Photography has a number of online short courses in different areas of documentary photography.

  • The Leica Akademie offers a range of free and paid talks by established photographers (change country via the dropdown at the bottom of the page).

  • Learning with Experts - Photo Journalism, an online course taught by award-winning Panos pictures photographer Stuart Freedman. There are two varieties of this course: a Peer Option, where you learn in an online classroom with other photographers or the Expert Option, where you get personal feedback from Stuart.

  • Lewis Bush - Course leader of the London College of Communication’s MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography teaches classes online and from his own studio in South London. Recommended

  • London Institute of Photography (LIoP) - offers a range of online and in-person courses from its base in London’s Brick Lane. Online courses include: Complete Foundation Photography Course, Beginners Photography Course, Intermediate Photography Course, Lightroom, Photoshop and Photography Careers

  • Masterclass has a range of classes from well-known industry experts for an annual fee. Of interest may be:

    • Annie Leibovitz - portrait photography

    • Ken Burns - documentary filmmaking

    • Bob Woodward - investigative journalism

  • Masters of Photography has classes from Albert Watson, Joel Meyerowitz and Steve McCurry - these are priced per class.

  • Magnum - The world-famous agency offers online classes from various Magnum photographers. They also offer (very expensive) mentoring with the likes of Matt Black and Susan Meiselas.

    • Alec Soth: Photographic Storytelling

    • The Art of Street Photography, with contributions from Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, Susan Meiselas, Richard Kalvar, Carolyn Drake, Peter van Agtmael and Mark Power.

    • Bieke Depoorter: Chance Encounters

    • Matt Black: The Documentary Commitment - I’ve watched this (twice), and I’d highly recommend it. Matt talks very personally about his approach, ethics, and how he researches and organises his projects. Recommended.

  • MediaStorm is an award-winning film production and interactive design studio. They have a range of online and in-person courses on subjects including video and stills documentary, production workflow and a week-long storytelling workshop.

  • Paul Hill and Maria Falconer run a range of workshops, both online and in-person. They also offer 1-2-1 tutoring and mentorships. Paul is the more documentary-focused, being a former photojournalist, having worked for the Birmingham Post & Mail, The Guardian, The Observer, and the BBC, amongst others.

  • Photography Ethics Centre offers two courses, Photojournalism Ethics Series: this is a paid three-part online course, and a shorter free course is listed below. Also, check out the three-part public lecture series on Ethical Literacy on the VII Insider site facilitated by Savannah Dodd, founder and director of the Photography Ethics Centre.

courses & classes: educational/non-profit

  • Falmouth Flexible from Falmouth University (UK)

    • Online Masters in Photography

    • Online Masters in Journalism

    • Online BA(Hons) Photography (Top-Up)

  • Foundry Photo Workshop: (location varies) - Foundry provides opportunities for those from ‘majority world’ nations and aims to be affordable for those students. It produces a quality workshop that offers real-world experience in reportage, honest feedback from respected professionals, and a genuine community at an accessible cost.

  • The International Center of Photography (USA)- a highly respected institution based in New York City. They offer both full and part-time courses, in-person and online.

    • Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism

    • Visual Storytelling Intensive

    • Documentary Practice: Visual Strategies

    • The Photo Essay: Strategies for Visual Storytelling

  • London College of Communication, part of the University of the Arts London - a highly respected UK university with far too many courses to mention. A few that are particularly relevant:

    • BA (Hons) Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (LCC)

    • MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (online and in-person) from the London College of Communication (LCC)

    • Documentary Photography Online Short Course (LCC)

    • Magnum and LCC Intensive Documentary Photography Course (LCC)

  • Missouri Photo Workshop (USA). In its 75th year (2023), this annual weeklong workshop is organised by the Missouri School of Journalism; the faculty comprises photojournalists, photo editors and photographers. I’ve attended the workshop and would recommend it highly.

  • Mountain Workshops, Kentucky (USA), comprise five disciplines – photojournalism, video storytelling, picture editing, digital storytelling and K-12 educators – for a week-long workshop.

  • Prism Workshop, Chicago (USA). The Prism Workshop is a non-profit organisation aiming to offer “education, resources, mentoring, funding, professional development and community to visual journalists from traditionally underrepresented communities including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.”

  • University of Bolton (UK)

    • BA (Hons) Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

  • University of Gloucestershire (UK)

    • Photojournalism and Documentary Photography (with Foundation) BA (Hons)

    • Photojournalism and Documentary Photography BA (Hons)

  • University of South Wales (UK)

    • BA (Hons) Documentary Photography, full-time in-person course, established by Magnum photographer David Hurn in 1973.

    • MA Documentary Photography, part-time online course

  • University of London, Goldsmiths College (UK)

    • MA Photography and Urban Cultures - they say, “the degree encourages creative interplay between practice and theory – you’ll develop your practical photography skills and examine key ideas and debates in the representation and evocation of contemporary city life.”

courses & classes: free

documentaries

  • Alberto Diaz - Chevolution (2008). A documentary about the famous portrait by Cuban photographer Alberto Diaz made of Che Guevara, one of the most recognisable snapshots in photography. Watch free on Plex

  • Alec Soth - Somewhere To Disappear. This isn’t documentary photography as such, but I did find Soth’s approach inspiring. - YouTube

  • Andrea Bruce - Lessons in the Field. Andrea Bruce shares valuable insights about creating compelling narratives, critical thinking, earning trust, perspective, and the importance of fixers to photojournalists' work. Vimeo Recommended.

  • Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens. YouTube

  • Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film. DVD from Amazon US

  • Bill Cunningham New York. Amazon Prime Video UK

  • Bill Jay - Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay. YouTube

  • Cindy Sherman - Guest of Cindy Sherman (2008). Cindy Sherman talks about being the master of disguise through her photographic role-playing and delivers an intimate look at her artistic methods. Film website

  • Danny Wilcox Frazier - Driftless: Photographs From Iowa. Documentary photographer Danny Wilcox Frazier captures life in rural Iowa, the land in which he grew up. Vimeo. Recommended.

  • David Seymour, Gerda Taro, and Robert Capa - The Mexican Suitcase. A 2011 documentary about the over 4000 film negatives created during the Spanish Civil War by David Seymour, Gerda Taro, and Robert Capa. It follows the journey of the photographs from their disappearance at the beginning of World War II to their rediscovery in 2007. Amazon Prime (but not in the UK)

  • Diane Arbus - Masters of Photography. YouTube

  • Don McCullin - McCullin. Don speaks candidly about his three-decade career covering wars and humanitarian disasters on virtually every continent and the photographs that often defined historic moments. At some points, it’s far from an easy watch. This is not the film to introduce the kids to photojournalism, but that aside, it’s Recommended. Amazon Prime Video UK | YouTube

  • Dorothea Lange - An American Odyssey. YouTube

  • Edward Weston: The Photographer. YouTube

  • Everybody Street - Highlights the lives and work of New York's iconic street photographers. YouTube

  • Francesca Woodman - The Woodmans (2010). Amazon Prime (but not in the UK) - A peek into the life of Francesca Woodman, a young photographer known for her self-portraits and photos of other women.

  • Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable - part of the American Masters series. Free to watch on the Internet Archive.

  • Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters - website

  • Harry Gruyaert, Photographer: This is the story of 75-year-old Magnum member Harry Gruyaert, whose life is saved by colour. website

  • Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge. Amazon Prime Video UK

  • Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment. Vimeo

  • James Balog - Chasing Ice: Environmental photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey to publicize the effects of climate change. The Film website.

  • James Nachtwey - War Photographer. Watch free online

  • Joakim Eskildsen - Nothing Special. Joakim Eskildsen is a Danish documentary photographer praised for his work on the Roma people and poverty in the United States. Joakim tells his own story and that of the people around him. YouTube

  • Letizia Battaglia - Shooting the Mafia. Kim Longinotto’s 2019 documentary details Letizia Battaglia’s career, documenting the life and crimes of the Mafia in Sicily. Amazon Prime

  • Nan Goldin - All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - website - Filmmaker Laura Poitras (see Citizenfour) details Nan Goldin’s personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid overdose crisis. Currently showing in the UK on the BBC i-Player. Outside the UK on YouTube/Apple TV etc. Recommended.

  • Nan Goldin - I Remember Your Face (2014) - Documentary filmmaker Sabine Lidl observes photographer Nan Goldin through interactions with the friends who became her subjects.

  • National Geographic – The Last Roll of Kodachrome - YouTube

  • National Geographic – The Photographers

  • National Geographic Search for the Afghan Girl - YouTube

  • Philip Jones Griffiths - The Magnificent One: Philip Jones Griffiths. Legendary anti-war photographer and author of Viet Nam Inc, Philip Jones Griffiths, gives the interview of a lifetime only 48 hours before he died at his home in London on March 19, 2008. Vimeo

  • Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light - YouTube

  • Robert Frank - Don't Blink - Film website

  • Ron Galella - Smash His Camera. Infamous paparazzi photographer Ron Galella. Apple TV

  • Saul Leiter - In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter. Film website. Recommended.

  • Saul Leiter - Masters of Photography. YouTube

  • Sebastião Salgado (in conversation with) - YouTube

  • Sebastião Salgado - The Salt of the Earth. Amazon Prime or YouTube Movies

  • Simon King - How To Become a Documentary Photographer. A short film featuring British documentary photographer Simon King. YouTube

  • Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen photographs Byker, a BBC Nationwide interview from 1974 - YouTube

  • Susan Meiselas, Richard P. Rogers and Alfred Guzzetti - Pictures from a Revolution. Film website

  • Tales by Light - Netflix series - “Photographers and filmmakers travel the world capturing people, places, creatures and cultures from new, previously unseen angles.”

  • The History of Photography- BBC series - watch free online - Recommended

  • Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People. YouTube

  • Tish Murtha - Tish. A documentary about the working-class British social documentary photographer Tish Murtha, who captured the impact of Thatcherism on the north of England but could not escape the poverty and inequality she exposed. Film website. Recommended.

  • William Eggleston - The Colourful Mr Eggleston. YouTube

  • William Klein - The Many Lives of William Klein. YouTube - Recommended

  • Vivian Maier - Finding Vivian Maier - website | Amazon Prime Video UK

  • Zana Briski - Born Into Brothels. Documentary photographer Zana Briski journeyed into Calcutta's underworld to photograph the city's prostitutes. Watch free online

mentoring

There aren’t many photographers who are so sure of their process and the direction a story should take that they wouldn’t benefit from the objective eye of a colleague. Often, that could be one of your peer groups, but sometimes, the dispassionate view of a more experienced practitioner is needed.

  • Stuart Freedman - Documentary photographer and writer Stuart Freedman offers mentoring and coaching. His website has more details.

  • VII Academy offers a two-year mentorship programme for photojournalists who have already started their careers.

reading list

  • For academic articles, try searching the UAL Research Online (University of the Arts, London) - to narrow things down, select the college as ‘London College of Communication’.

  • A recommended reading list for the Technique and Theory in Documentary Photography from Blind Magazine.

  • American Photojournalism: Motivations and Meanings by Claude Cookman.

  • Another Country: British Documentary Photography Since 1945 by Gerry Badger.

  • Basics Creative Photography 02: Context and Narrative by Maria Short. The author is a photographer, writer and lecturer in photography at the University of Brighton. This book has been updated since the edition I own. I haven’t had a chance to see the later edition.

  • The Documentary Impulse by Stuart Franklin is out-of-print, but you still see used copies available online. Franklin explores why we are driven to visually document our experiences and the world around us. He focuses on photography but traces this universal need through art, literature and science. Recommended by Bojan Fürst.

  • Documentary Photography Reconsidered: History, Theory and Practice by Michelle Bogre. As well as this being a very useful textbook in its own right, there are a number of interesting interviews with contemporary Documentary Photographers on the book-specific site. Follow the link.

  • The Universal Journalist by David Randall with Jemma Crew. “This is the only 'how to' book on journalism written by writers and editors who have operated at the top level in national news.” There are really helpful chapters covering interview techniques, research, using social media and more. Make sure you get the latest, 6th edition.

  • Pictures on a Page: Photo-journalism, Graphics and Picture Editing by Harold Evans. Legendary journalist, writer and editor (The Sunday Times, The Times) offer a complete analysis of how photographs are taken, selected and edited for newspapers and magazines. Harold Evans wrote a range of books of interest to budding journalists and photojournalists.

  • The Photo Essay – Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark. Mary Ellen Mark offers an overview of her career as well as insight into the problems that photojournalists working on the international level face. In an in-depth interview, Mark discusses problem-solving in the field and offers some ideas about photographing people in various parts of the world.

  • Photography: A Critical Introduction by Liz Wells. There are several editions. At the time of writing, the latest is the 6th edition. The publisher says: “this seminal textbook examines key debates in photographic theory and places them in their social and political contexts. Written especially for students in further and higher education and for introductory college courses, it provides a coherent introduction to the nature of photographic seeing.”

  • Recorded Reality - Early Documentary Photography by Gail Buckland. Presents documentary photographs taken with calotype and wetplate cameras up to the advent of the dry plate around 1884. It is out of print, but it is widely available online.

  • Understanding Photojournalism by Jennifer Good and Paul Lowe. Highly Recommended. Both authors are lecturers on the highly respected Photojournalism and Documentary Photography courses at the London College of Communication. Includes annotated guides to further reading.

  • Visual Sociology by Douglas Harper is expensive, but there is a new edition due to be published in June 2023. Recommended by Bojan Fürst.

  • Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers by Ken Light.

talks, interviews and video guides

  • Documentary Photography Reconsidered: History, Theory and Practice by Michelle Bogre has several interviews with contemporary Documentary Photographers. It includes Ed Kashi, Daniella Zalcman and Greg Constantine.

  • Documentary Photography: Tips by Mads Nissen. Danish World Press Photo winner Mads Nissen talks about his approach to documentary photography.

  • Leica Akademie offers a range of free and paid talks by established photographers. (change country via the dropdown at the bottom of the page.

  • Masterclass with Donna Ferrato from Blind Magazine Donna Ferrato discusses the power of documentary photography, her fights for women, personal work, and shows some steps of the making of the publication in her New York studio.

  • Matt Black: Alexia Foundation Workshop Lecture (2015). Matt talks about his motivation and how life in the Central Valley of California led to his ‘Geography of Poverty’ project.

  • Photo Wings truly is a hidden gem. They have an incredible range of talks and interviews from the likes of Alec Soth, Sally Mann, Ed Kashi and Matt Black. A particular favourite is talks from the Eddie Adams Workshop.

  • Photowings Lessons in the Field series.

    • Adriana Zehbrauskas: Adriana takes us with her on an assignment to document baptismal ceremonies at the Basilica de Guadalupe, where we learned how she creates a connection and builds trust with the people she photographs.

    • Andrea Bruce: Andrea shares valuable insights about creating compelling narratives, critical thinking, earning trust, perspective, and the importance of fixers to the work of photojournalists.

    • James Whitlow Delano: While on location, James shared some valuable insights: the philosophical and technical approaches he takes to photojournalism and bearing witness.

    • Maggie Steber: Maggie provides insight into her style of teaching, the ways we can learn to find our own visual voice, and tips for editing and storytelling.

    • Matt Black: Matt provides insights on his photographic philosophy and how he connects to the people, communities and landscapes he encounters. He shared tips about critical thinking, resilience, and how to tell complex stories using photographs.

  • VII Insider has a great range of talks and interviews with photographers at the top of their game. You’ll need to register – free of charge – to access the videos.

Nigel Rumsey http://www.nigelrumsey.com
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