Newsletter - A bit about research...

Hello,

So much of documentary photography happens before the pictures even take place. The idea happens, the commitment to the idea, and then the research. I think possibly the research is my favourite part of making documentary work. It's learning and learning and learning as much as I can before making pictures. 

Here's the brilliant thing about research. It's knowledge and all that knowledge will come in handy when you are photographing. It sits inside you and your subconscious, guiding you to know what to include and not include when telling a story.

I start with the 5 W's: who, what, why, when, plus how. That's what I learned in journalism school and so far it's been useful. Approaching my subject matter looking to answer these questions starts a process where every answer brings another question. It can be tedious and slow, but all that information will help me move the story forward. It's a bit like how a child approaches new things and wants to know why at every turn. Every "why" gets replaced by another "why".

And in the end, when the pictures convey what you learned, nothing beats that feeling.

Tell me how you go from idea to story, or share a story you've made. i'd love to hear about it. 

All for now,

Kristine