Whatever type of camera you use, documentary photography is a fascinating and rewarding genre, and one that is part of the very DNA of our favourite art form. Amateur Photographer’s Festival of Photography: Documentary takes place in central London this Saturday, August 9th, and as you will see, there is a LOT going on.

First up are the headline speakers. We are pleased to be welcoming some of the most eminent names in documentary to our festival, held in the elegant surroundings of the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington; while their subjects and approaches are all very different, they are all dedicated to recording the world around them as they see it, and, of course, telling compelling stories. See here for the full agenda.

Speaker highlights

  • Zed Nelson
    Zed is celebrated worldwide for long-term projects that explore contemporary society, and was awarded the overall prize in this year’s Sony World Photography Awards. He will take us on a revealing journey through this epic new work, The Anthropocene Illusion, and behind the scenes on three previous award-winning long-term projects.
  • Laura Pannack
    Renowned for her portraiture and social documentary work, Laura seeks to explore the complex relationship between subject and photographer. Her work has been extensively exhibited and published worldwide, including at The National Portrait Gallery, The Houses of Parliament, Somerset House and the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Project Hope is a youth centre that offers young people a safe place to come together in an area where one side of the street marks a dangerous territory.
One of Laura’s striking documentary images
  • Jon Nicholson
    Jon has gained an international reputation for his sports reportage, especially in the world of motorsport. He takes us through his 40 year career documenting the culture of everything from Formula 1 to banger racing, and discuses how it has enabled the work he does in other sports as well as subjects ranging from conflict to landscape, for the likes of the United Nations and National Geographic.
  • Carol-Ann Storey
    Carol Allen-Storey is an award-winning documentary photographer specialising in humanitarian and social issues. In this presentation she discusses her work photographing issues affecting women and children around the world for NGOs such as The Elton John AIDS Foundation, UNICEF, Save the Children, Comic Relief and International Alert.
  • Paul Hill MBE
    A regular contributor to AP and veteran photography educator, Paul will talk about his meetings with some of the legends of 20th century photography – Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Brassai, W Eugene Smith, George Rodger, Laura Gilpin, Paul Strand, and Andre Kertesz.
  • Simon Hill and John Bulmer
    The North Revisited is a year-long project by Simon Hill which builds on the iconic work of photojournalist John Bulmer, whose evocative images of the north of England taken in the 1960s and 70s for The Sunday Times Magazine remain a cornerstone of British documentary photography. Both will be discussing this and more in their talk.

Photo walks

Another highlight of the Festival of Photography: Documentary are the ever-popular photowalks – a great chance to acquire new skills and stretch your legs. These include:

  • Walking Women, with Angela Nicholson of SheClicks
    Join regular AP contributor Angela Nicholson for an informal photo walk around South Kensington. Angela is the founder of SheClicks, a community for femaie photographers with a friendly, informative vibe (you don’t need to be a SheClicks member to attend this walk).
  • Street Documentary Photo Walk
    Join Jovis Leigh Howieson and the Urban Photographers Club for a street photography walk around South Kensington.
  • RPS London Photo Walk
    The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) London group is one of the organisation’s biggest and most active, so do come along and explore the photogenic delights of nearby Hyde Park. Bring your camera!
RPS London at Festival of Photography: Documentary

Panel discussions and more

Also don’t miss a fascinating panel discussion on the legacy of the legendary documentary photographer Sebastiao Salgado, featuring AP editor Nigel Atherton, Salgado’s agent Neil Burgess, friend and Magnum Photos colleague Ian Berry, and photojournalist Edmond Terakopian.

Trapani, Sicile, Italie, 1991 © Sebastião SALGADO workers book
Join us to reflect on the legacy of Salgado. Trapani, Sicile, Italie, 1991. © Sebastião Salgado

There is also the chance to meet the AP team and some of the speakers in an informal ‘drop in’ session!

This is your last chance to get a 20% discount on Festival of Photography: Documentary tickets by clicking here. See you in London on Saturday!