Documentary photographers combine visual art and storytelling to provide an objective look at other people's lives. A documentary photographer must master both the technical aspects of photography and the ethical and artistic sides, and may exhibit in a gallery, work for a news outlet or work on commission for an individual or organization.

Because documentary photography jobs are so varied, the education for this profession needs to cover a lot of ground. While a photo documentary is frequently considered art, documentary photographers often follow the same methods and principles as press photographers, because of the candid nature of their photography. Documentary photography education and training options include:

1. Earning a degree or certificate in documentary photography
2. Signing up for a documentary photography workshop
3. Taking community-oriented classes and seminars
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find documentary photography schools

If you're planning on a full-time career in documentary photography, seek an academic degree or certificate.

I recommend: The International Center of Photography in New York City offers a one-year certificate program in documentary photography and photojournalism. The full-time program includes an internship with a photo agency, gallery, photographer or magazine. The Academy of Art University offers bachelor of fine arts and master of fine arts degrees in photography, including courses in documentary photography. The undergraduate and graduate programs are offered in-person and online.

Attend documentary photography workshops

If you're already a photographer -- professional or amateur -- documentary photography workshops can help you refine your skills and add new techniques to your repertoire.

I recommend: The Missouri Photo Workshop is an intensive, week- long documentary workshop in which several teams work together to document life in one Missouri community. The workshop is sponsored by the Missouri School of Journalism and the Missouri Press Association Foundation. The White Cloud Workshop in Indiana is held year-round, and offers private, one-on-one instruction for one weekend. The workshop starts with a critique of the student's work, and includes instruction in the technical and practical aspects of photography, as well as the ethical considerations.

Find documentary photography information through community-oriented programs and courses

If you're considering a career in documentary photography, community-oriented programs can introduce you to the subject, help you decide if that's the right field for you, and serve as a foundation for more advanced education.

I recommend: The Marion Center for Photographic Arts at the College of Santa Fe is open to both traditional and non-degree-seeking students. Courses offered include "Documentary: World in Words" and "Documentary: Visual Storytelling." The Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University offers a summer "Introduction to Documentary Studies" workshop designed both for students seeking the Certificate in Documentary Studies at CDS and for non-degree-seeking students wishing to learn more about documentary photography ideas and history.

Pursuing documentary photography jobs is a serious undertaking. Documentaries can be powerful in their ability to shape public perception on a topic and prompt social change, if handled correctly. It is more that simply taking a photo; documentary recording also requires a passion for the history that the moment represents.

A lot of private documentaries rely on obtaining grants for funding. If you have a documentary photography idea, work it out in sketches and talk it over with other documentary photographers before you delve into the project. Test the viability and understand what you are getting into before starting.

1. Documentary photographers gain invaluable experience by working with a documentary photo agency.

2. A documentary photographer is a generally a specialist and has a particular area of interest.

3. It is important to understand how the medium you choose — film, digital, or perhaps an older form of image recording — will affect the final outcome.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Explore different ways to obtain information about documentary photography

Research documentary photography schools to find the one that fits your needs if you want to dive into a degree program. You may be able to find community programs which offer documentary photography workshops. The classes will be small and most likely taught by a professional living in your area. Workshops can be an inexpensive way to explore your documentary photography ideas before enrolling in a college program.

I recommend: The International Center of Photography in New York offers a focused documentary photography and photojournalism program. The White Cloud Workshop is offered weekly all year long in Indiana. It offers weekend-long one-on-one instruction.

Discover where you can find documentary photography jobs

Documentary photography information is found in magazines, newspapers, and via the Web. A desire to be in the field makes you naturally inclined to seek out experienced professional and freelance documentary photographers. Connecting and networking with other documentary photographers is a must, regardless of whether you are brand new to this field, or if you have been involved in it for years.

I recommend: While searching regular job boards, such as Monster and Careerbuilder for documentary photographer jobs, join forums such as Photo.net where you can obtain job leads through online conversations. Search JournalismJobs.com for nationwide job postings. Sign up for the RSS feed at UJOB's Documentary Photographer Job site and be notified when positions are posted.

Associate with photojournalism organizations to share documentary photography ideas

Joining a professional photographer association, or volunteering with an organization that is deeply involved in documentary work will allow you to network and make contacts with experts in the field. It will also give you a way to experience different aspects of documentary photography.

I recommend: One World Photography is an organization supporting and documenting numerous developing nations. They have imagery stock banks which allow you to purchase images for your documentary on an individual or subscription basis. Professional Photographers of America is the association to belong to if you'd like to consider documentary photography as a serious career.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Start gathering info about documentary photography by reading through documentary photography magazines and focusing on the content. Take notes. Record photographer names, article topics, and any opportunities that you might be able to take advantage of and then follow up on what you find.

Documentary photography is a part of the news industry, wedding industry and art community. Photographers get a chance to tell a story through pictures instead of words, or use their photographs to strengthen a written story.

There are key terms that are important to remember when entering the world of documentary photography. Professional photography organizations are also key to understanding and becoming a part of the world of documentary photography.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Photojournalism

Photojournalists tell a story with photographs. These types of journalists take a scenario, focus on a specific aspect of the situation and create a story based on their photographs.

I recommend: Education Portal gives a definition of photojournalism and talks about the opportunities for photojournalists, including salary information and education requirements.

National Press Photographers Association

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) is a professional organization that documentary photographers in the news industry can join. It allows photographers to stay updated on the current trends in the industry and to network with other professionals in the field.

I recommend: Join the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) to stay up to date with the news and trends in the news photography field of documentary photography.

Organization of Ethical Photojournalism

The Organization of Ethical Photojournalism was created to monitor whether or not photographs used in photojournalism have been manipulated. Digital photography has made it easy to manipulate photos, and this poses a problem for photojournalists who use photographs of real situations to tell unbiased stories.

I recommend: The Organization of Ethical Photojournalism is made up of volunteers that monitor major news organzations' photographs and is ready to support photojournalists who have had their photographs digitally altered.

Freelance photography

Documentary photography and freelance photography go hand-in-hand. Freelance photographers can choose to work in different photography arenas and often supply companies or clients with photographs to fit a specific requirement.

I recommend: Marketing for Photographers and Photography gives details about freelance photography, including different ways that freelance photographers can make a living.

Press photographer

Press photographers usually work for newspapers or magazines, or work on a freelance basis. They shoot newsworthy photographs that accompany articles in many different areas, such as politics, sports or entertainment.

I recommend: Graduate Prospects gives a detailed description of what a press photographer does and the job skills that photographers must possess to get jobs in the news field.

Wedding photojournalist

Unlike traditional wedding photography, wedding photojournalists take a documentary approach to capture wedding memories. Candid photographs are used to tell a wedding story, from beginning to end.

I recommend: The Wedding Photojournalist Association is made up of photographers that take an artistic approach to capturing wedding moments. This organization also sponsors seminars and workshops of documentary photographers.

Documentary photography is an exciting and dynamic, yet competitive profession. With the right combination of technical skill, artistic talent, and knowledge of documentary art and social commentary, there is much room for success in this field.

Success in this field of work much depends on staying in front of the wave of news and trends, whether you are seeking freelance individual work, to reporting for the media, to exhibiting work in a gallery for sale. To remain relevant in such a competitive field, it is essential that you continually educate yourself on the documentary news and trends in the following ways:

1. Stay in the know of the latest technological advances in equipment used by documentary photographers.

2. Learn about the changing trends in style of documentary photography.

3. Keep informed of the dynamic social climate on the international level that is worthy of photo documentary.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attend documentary photography workshops and seminars

Documentary photography workshops and seminars will provide the opportunity to learn new techniques, different styles, learn from industry leaders in the profession and network with other photographers.

I recommend: Nikonians Academy offers various workshops throughout the year at different locations throughout the country. Look for various workshops scheduled throughout the year through Maine Media Workshops.

Join documentary photographer associations

Joining associations and organizations will give you access to news on what other professionals are doing, what the hot social topics are, important industry contacts, job listings and learning opportunities through event listings.

I recommend: The International Center for the Documentary Arts is an association for all documentary professionals that allows you to list your contact information for potential jobs, a chance to exhibit your work and network with other professionals. The Photographic Society of America is the largest association for photographers and has a special division for photojournalism.

Read documentary photography publications

Some of the best documentary photography information can be found in publications like monthly magazines and newsletters. View the work of some of the best photojournalists and read about the issues shaping the world of documentary photography, as well as find listings for documentary photography jobs and special events.

I recommend: Subscribe to 8 Magazine at Foto8, a biannual publication, showcasing the most groundbreaking work in documentary photography. Blind Spot is a general photography magazine that focuses on documentary photography and is published three times per year.

Get documentary photography ideas from blogs

Blogs are a great way to get info about documentary photography from other photographers from all around the world, as you can interact with and network with other photojournalism professionals.

I recommend: Find a list with links and short descriptions of many different documentary photography blogs at WordPress.com. Also, blog about documentary photography at LiveBooks.