How to Become a Storytelling Photographer
I’ve been asked several times by people studying documentary photography for some advice on getting started as storytelling photographer.
Most recently I was contacted by a young man who asked, “For my current module I need to interview some people working in the photography industry. The Module is ‘Preparation for industry’ designed to help us navigate and understand the industry, so the conversation would be mostly about your career path; steps you have taken, agencies, how you found work, education, awards, commissions etc!”
In preparation for the interview, I made *lots* of notes which I thought I’d share as it might be of help for some folk out there.
👭 Connect with Others
One of the best ways to improve and grow is to connect with people. Try doing this by attending events where you can meet and talk to other photographers, editors, curators, and other people with knowledge. But don’t restrict yourself to just photography and go check out other creative events.
Join or make your own photography groups where you can exchange feedback, find support, and discuss ideas with your peers. Be nice, be helpful and show an interest in others.
📢 Find your Voice
Finding your voice as a storyteller isn’t easy, but it’s essential, as your voice makes your work unique and memorable. To find your voice, you need to ask yourself some questions, such as:
What are you passionate about?
What are you curious about?
What are you trying to say?
How do you want to say it?
Seek feedback from others. Contact people you respect and ask them to review your work and give you honest, constructive criticism. Ask specific questions about the work. When you contact people, keep your communications brief and to the point, assume they’re busy and have limited time to respond. Be polite and respectful.
Another way to find your voice is through community. Find other storytellers who have similar interests, goals, or values as you. Follow their work, engage with with these people both online or offline, and learn from them.
Look for mentors, who can guide, inspire and challenge you. You don’t have to pay for expensive mentor coaching and remember mentors don’t even need to be alive or accessible. Learn from their work, interviews and articles. I’ve done this many times with Mary Ellen Mark being my most influential mentor.
Don’t stand still. Keep learning and being inspired. Read books, listen to podcasts, visit exhibitions, and explore new places. When possible, expose yourself to different stories, cultures, and perspectives. Keep your mind open and your curiosity alive.
🏋🏽 Work Hard
It’s essential to:
Be professional. Meet deadlines, deliver quality work, respect contracts, and communicate clearly and effectively with your clients, collaborators, and your audience.
Be easy to work with. Be friendly, flexible, cooperative, and respectful of others. Smile, be positive, and take an interest in people. It’s not about winning awards, it’s about making work which means something to you and has an impact on people.
Be helpful, especially if you’re working as part of a team or under someone’s supervision. If you’re assisting another photographer, think of what you can do to make their life easier.
🚏 Choose Your Life
You need to choose what kind of life you want, and how photography can fit into it. Here are a few things to consider:
Your income. Photographers don’t earn much, unless you’re one of the lucky few. Most photographers barely earn minimum wage, and have to supplement their income with other jobs, such as teaching, commercial shoots, or video production. What could it look like for you? How much money do you need to live comfortably and pursue your passion? How can you diversify your income sources and create multiple streams of revenue?
Your location. Where you live can impact your opportunities and network. It helps if you are located where there is a concentration of people and resources associated with photography, such as London or Liverpool. You have access to more events, exhibitions, and publications. You can live elsewhere, but be prepared to travel to find and tell stories, and to meet and connect with people. Use the internet to help close geographical distances.
Your audience. Who are you telling stories for? Who are the people who will see, read, or hear your stories? Who are the people who will pay for your stories? You need to know your audience, and speak to them directly in your work. You also need to reach out to them, and build a relationship with them. You can do this by creating a website, a blog, a newsletter, or a social media presence where you can showcase your work and share your insights. Participate in contests, festivals, or exhibitions, to expose your work to a wider and more diverse audience. Give much to your audience and ask for little.
Your education. You don’t need a degree to be a storytelling photographer, but you do need to have some knowledge and skills. You need to know how to use your camera, how to edit your photos, how to write captions and narratives, how to pitch and how to market yourself. You can learn these things from courses, workshops, or online tutorials, or by reading books, magazines, or blogs. Be careful about spending large amounts of money on courses and workshops, you can learn lots by making work, showing it publicly, experimenting and improving your craft.
Your background. Your background can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on how you use it. Do you have family in the industry? Do you have family money? If yes, then you might have connections, resources, or privileges that can help you get started and get ahead. If not, you’ll probably have to work harder and smarter than some of your peers. You might have to face more challenges, obstacles, or prejudices. How can you turn the tables, and give yourself the upper hand? Here are some suggestions:
Use your unique skills. I’ve had a varied work history, and managed to gather a range of skills, such as design, building websites, pitching, prepping artwork for print, business planning, sales, marketing, programming, and currently I’m learning video editing. Learning beyond the core skills can make you more versatile, adaptable, and valuable as a photographer. Use your blend of skills to enhance your work and to offer different solutions to problems.
Use your creativity. The world is bendable and malleable. Things can be discounted, opportunities can be given that don’t exist, and rules can be broken or rewritten. You can use your creativity to find or create opportunities, to negotiate or persuade, and to challenge the status quo. You can also use your creativity to tell stories that are original, innovative, and captivating.
Use your courage. There are no adults, everyone is making it up as they go along 🙂. You don’t have to follow the conventional path, or the expectations of others. You can follow your own path. Take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. Stand up for yourself and for what you believe in.
Use your passion. What do you love to do? What do you enjoy doing? What feels like play to you that to others feels like work? What do you care about? These are questions that will help you find your purpose. Figure out what you care about, and absolutely do that. Enjoy making work, and happy storytelling! 😊
If you have any questions or thoughts, can get in touch with me here.
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