Documentary Photography Portfolio Websites | Tips and Examples
Get inspired by these amazing documentary photography portfolio websites and discover how you can create a stunning portfolio to showcase your documentary photography projects.
October 6, 2021
Paul O'Malley
Theme used: CurvePaul O'Malley is a Miami-based photographer who blends abstraction and documentary styles to create complex compositions. His work explores themes of belonging and solitude, capturing the essence of urban environments and cultural experiences.
https://pauldomalley.format.com
Tanya McGeever
Theme used: MeanderTanya McGeever (b. 1990) is a UK-based photographer specializing in portraiture and the human form. She studied Documentary Photography at the University of South Wales. Her work explores the unspoken nuances of portraiture, capturing the subtleties of gesture, presence, and agency within the human body. Through both traditional portraiture and self-portraiture, she examines themes of identity, expression, and the physicality of being.
https://tanyamcgeever.format.com
Romain Philippon
Theme used: OffsetFreelance photographer on Reunion Island since 2006, Romain Philippon is a member of the Inland cooperative, and works regularly for Liberation, Le Monde and Le Monde Magazine. For several years, his work has focused on themes related to insularity, in its geographical and human forms, mainly in the Indian Ocean territory.
https://romain-philippon-portfolio.format.com
Vince Liu
Theme used: MeterVince Liu is a photographer from China who captures everyday moments from home and travel, turning ordinary scenes into quiet visual stories. With an engineering background, he enjoys exploring different gear and mediums, with a special focus on the XPan format and b&w photography.
https://arles.format.com
Alex Dinaut
Theme used: ChromaAlex Dinaut is a photographer and filmmaker. For over fifteen years, he has navigated the divide between still and moving images, creating short films, music videos, and over a thousand corporate films. Curious about territories and wandering, he focuses on childhood (Movies with Toys), the streets (Ducasse), and then resilience with his first photo book, TUMUR, born from a six-week immersion in Mongolia. His work blends visual poetry, sometimes absurd humor, and inner quest.
https://portfolio-mtdjtth.format.com
Emmanuel Guillén Lozano
Theme used: Horizon LeftEmmanuel Guillén Lozano is a Mexican photographer and photo editor based in New York City. His work focuses on social issues, human rights and the effects of violence, and has been published in the New York Times, Vice, the Washington Post, and the Deutsche Welle, among others.
https://emmanuelguillen.format.comDocumentary photography ideas: Allow for natural inspiration
As much as photographing social issues can be a fulfilling component of documentary photography, don’t forget, it is only one aspect. Documentary photography can also capture happy events like weddings and family events. If you’re having difficulty finding those bolder and more provocative subjects, rather than forcing it, allow for natural inspiration. In other words, let the subjects come to you, and you’ll likely find those dream projects come up when you’re not expecting them.
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Roshni Khatri
Theme used: PeakRoshni Khatri is a New York City-based documentary photographer focusing on gender, culture, and identity. Originally from New Delhi, India, she brings a global perspective to her storytelling. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, NBC News, and Reuters, and has been exhibited at Photoville. A graduate of the International Center of Photography, supported by the Wall Street Journal Scholarship, Roshni is a member of Women Photograph and Diversify.
https://roshnikhatri.format.com
Kasia Ślesińska
Theme used: FrameKasia Ślesińska is a documentary photographer based between Cracow, and Warsaw, Poland. Her work has been published in journals and magazines such as Gazeta Wyborcza, Polityka, Press, Pismo, and NZZ.
https://slesinska.format.com
Thomas Emil Sørensen
Theme used: Horizon LeftThomas Emil Sorensen is a danish visual storyteller and photographer that stands out with quirky and different ideas to classic pictures. He is an award winning photojournalist, that pushes boundaries and expectations and tells the honest truth.
https://tesorensen.format.com
Iza Mar
Theme used: ExposureIza Mar, is a Mexican photographer with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling through the art of food. Growing up in a culture where cooking was a constant celebration, Iza was immersed in the vibrant traditions and flavors that defined her culinary heritage. Her travels have further enriched her perspective, allowing her to explore diverse culinary landscapes and understand the unique stories each dish holds.
https://portfolio-fgehcsc.format.com
Galileo Cheng
Theme used: FrameGalileo Cheng is a freelance photojournalist in diaspora from Hong Kong to Vancouver, moving to London, U.K. He has strong passion in social justice and human rights topics in Asia, U.K., and North America. Galileo's work are with publications like Radio Free Asia, Hong Kong Free Press, Initium Media, The Chaser News, Wainao, Wave.Zine, Die Tageszeitung, InMedia Hong Kong, now-defunct Stand News and Citizen News.
https://galileocheng.format.com
Nicolas Niggemeyer
Theme used: SlateNicolas Niggemeyer always looks for stories to tell, leaning towards documentary photography he seeks to isolate a part of reality and display it more abstractly. Niggemeyer is interested in the creative possibilities of fashion and commercial film. Originally from Uruguay, he is based in Portugal.
https://nicolasniggemeyer.format.comTips for documentary photography: Make yourself invisible
No matter what your subject, when photographing documentary style, your goal should always be to let events play out as if you were not there. You don’t want subjects acting differently because they see you with a camera. You want to capture the natural essence of what would happen, whether you were present with your camera or not.
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JONTY WILDE
Theme used: VantageJonty Wilde was born and raised on the Wirral, near Liverpool, Jonty Wilde’s future was set from age 15, when his father bought him a Ricoh KR-10 SLR camera that led him to a weekend photography course in which, for the first time in his school life, he excelled. Photography became his obsession and initially, with very modest means – buying and selling camera gear and constantly upgrading – he gradually built a body of equipment that allowed him to work professionally.
https://jonty-wilde.format.com
Dénes Erdős
Theme used: FrameDénes Erdős is a Hungarian photojournalist based in Vienna, Austria. Dénes began his career as a freelancer, working with various media outlets. He has worked for one of Hungary's national dailies for four years and, in 2023, joined The Associated Press as a freelance photojournalist covering major events in Hungary. His work has been recognized with several awards, including the Zoltán Szalay Award for Best Photographer Under 30 in 2022.
https://portfolio-tzgnwfg.format.com
Valérie Baeriswyl
Theme used: IrisValérie Baeriswyl is a freelance photojournalist of Swiss origin, trained in Paris. A freelancer for AFP since 2016, her photos are published in various media around the world: Le Monde, GEO, New York Times, The Guardian, Pèlerin Magazine, Le Temps, etc. In 2012, she received the Grand Prix Paris-Match, in 2019 a grant from Reuters and in 2021 her work will be exhibited -among others- in Perpignan (Visa pour l'image). To date, she has published two books.
https://valeriebaeriswyl.format.com
Tina Babakishvili
Theme used: OffsetTina Babakishvili is a 33-year-old from Tbilisi, Georgia, now based in Los Angeles. With a background in the film industry and a passion for photography, she has been fortunate to combine her two interests over the years. Tina's love for photography runs deep, rooted in their family history - her grandfather was an avid photographer during World War II, and both her parents shared a passion for the art form. Tina feels the connection is ingrained in her genes.
https://tinababakishvili.format.com
David Sladek
Theme used: OffsetDavid Sládek is a Czech independent photojournalist living in London and a former reporter for the Czech News Agency. Since moving to London more than a decade and a half ago he has been focusing his photographic work on people, their lives and emotions. His main topics are: Protests in the streets of London, British car boot sales, ordinary life of people in the Slovak village Šumiac, people of South Bohemia
https://davidsladek.format.com
Nicky Woo
Theme used: Horizon LeftNicky Quamina-Woo is a Black and Native Hawaiian documentary and portrait photographer who divides her time between East Africa, Southeast Asia, and New York City.
https://nickywoo.format.comDocumentary photography project ideas: Turn your idea into a series
With all styles of photography, as a photographer, your goal is always to tell a story. This notion is especially true with documentary photography, which makes it the perfect opportunity to turn a singular project into an entire series. Whether it be similar subjects, ideas, or events, you can turn one project into a whole series that produces an entire story, or “documentary.”
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Tina Masoumi
Theme used: OffsetBorn in 1999 in Iran, Tina Masoumi now lives in exile in France, where she studies in Beaux-Arts of Aix-en-Provence. As a documentary-inspired photographer, she is passionate about telling the stories of individuals. Tina believes in the power of sharing human experiences to foster empathy and connection. Through self-reflection, she seeks to express her feelings while exploring new forms of self-expression.
https://portfolio-ajxwtbc.format.com
KT Kanazawich
Theme used: SymmetryKT Kanazawich is a photojournalist based in Baltimore, Maryland, focusing her lens on community and culture. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Bloomberg, PBS Frontline, The New York Times, Time Out NY, Flint Beat, and The Trace.
https://ktkanazawich.format.com
Karim Tebache
Theme used: AmbienceKarim Tebache is a Belgian-Algerian freelance photographer who has been working in the Belgian film industry since 2018. In 2023, he completed the Speos & Magnum program in Creative Documentary and Photojournalism and has since specialized in news and documentary photography. He is based in Brussels.
https://karimtebache.format.com
Jonathan Frydman
Theme used: SkylineJonathan Frydman's photography is a mixture of portrait, performance, and documentary. Having gotten his start sneaking into hip-hop shows in South Florida, he immediately fell in love with photography. There was something alluring in where photography could bring him and the experiences he could share.
https://jonathanfrydman.format.com
Cheney Orr
Theme used: DetailCheney Orr was born in Arizona in 1990 and raised in New York City. His first long-term photo essay documenting his father’s struggle with early-onset Alzheimer's was published by The New York Times Lens Blog in January 2018. Further work has been published by VICE, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, VAGA Magazine among others. After living the majority of his life in Brooklyn, Cheney moved back to Arizona in 2019 to explore stories and current issues in the American Southwest.
https://cheney-orr.format.com
Bernard Kalu
Theme used: FiberBernard Kalu (b. 1989) is a documentary photographer based in Lagos, Nigeria; his work is inspired by a passion to explore life and humanity. Photography is drawing with light and he's adopted it as a tool to not only tell stories but preserve today for the future. Bernard began working in photography in 2014, exploring street documentary and creative twists to wedding photography. He is a certified canon master storyteller and VII Academy Foundry alumni. Focus: Enviromental and Social issues.
https://bernardkalu.format.comDocumentary photography tips: Be Mobile
Whether it be getting to a scene quickly, being able to navigate through crowds, or making yourself as invisible as impossible, you want to be as mobile as possible when shooting documentary style. Of course, you still want to use the highest quality equipment possible, but you need to balance this with mobility. Doing so will allow you to get the amazing shots that you might have otherwise missed.
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James Deavin
Theme used: PeakJames Deavin is a documentary photographer who loves working on projects he dreamed up himself, as well as on commercial projects with a creative team. James's photographic style is pretty loose nowadays and he tries to approach the subjects in a very straightforward way - probably because he shots on a large format camera for many years.
https://jamesdeavin.format.com
Seif Kousmate
Theme used: Horizon LeftSeif Kousmate is a self-taught photographer specializing in social issues who was born in 1988 in Essaouira, Morocco. After a career as a Project Manager in the civil engineering sector, he switched to photography as a new profession. Since then, he has been working on projects in Africa covering migration, youth, and slavery.
https://seifkousmate.format.com
Nicola Zolin
Theme used: Horizon LeftNicola Zolin is a photojournalist and writer interested in the social and environmental transformations at the borders of Europe, Middle East, and Asia. He explores how people in the world compete over natural resources and what freedom means for human beings, from youth to utopia-seekers, to migrants on the move looking for a better future.
https://nicola-zolin.format.com
ISAO NISHIYAMA
Theme used: OrderIsao Nishiyama Born in 1977, Isao is an editor, photographer and graphic designer from Tokyo and Fukuoka, Japan. He created and began publishing a visual magazine called “Studio Journal knock” in 2013, which features visits with artists all around the globe.
https://isao-nishiyama-zocr.format.com
James Barkman
Theme used: Horizon LeftJames Barkman is a photographer who draws much of his inspiration from the mountains and the sea. No stranger to the open road, his work, travels, and expeditions have taken him from the Arctic Circle to Afghanistan. His passion for honest storytelling and drive for genuine adventure has led him to work with a diverse and unique range of clients. A climber, motorcycle enthusiast, and writer, James is based on the Central Coast of California.
https://james-barkman.format.com
Sandra Mickiewicz
Theme used: OffsetSandra Mickiewicz is a Polish documentary photographer who lives and works in London. In 2007, her family immigrated to the United Kingdom, where she started to develop her skills in painting and drawing. She discovered photography at the age of 15. Since that time, Sandra has used her camera as a tool to communicate with the world. She is drawn into very ordinary and conventional moments in our everyday life, which she documents by exploring portraiture and landscape photography.
https://sandra-mickiewicz.format.comDocumentary wedding photography tips: Know your couple
As much as you are the storyteller as a documentary photographer, when you’re working in weddings, you have clients, and ensuring they are happy should be your number one priority. In order to do this, get to know your couple, so that you’re able to capture candid, special moments that they’ll cherish for a lifetime. For example, if you know the bride is particularly close with her grandmother, seek to capture moments between the pair.