Documentary Photography
Capturing the decisive moment when the odds are stacked against you
A multitude of nows — When cameraphile Greg Funnell picked up a Widelux lens for the first time, he found a new way to document time.
Written by: Greg Funnell
The torture of Tokyo rush hour, up close and impersonal
One hell of a commute — Photographer Michael Wolf spent years documenting the world's busiest travel system, capturing a claustrophobic nightmare endured by millions travelling across Japan's capital.
Written by: Cian Traynor
In 'Swing States,' this photographer captures the mood on the street after the US election
A divided nation — In 'Swing States,' Taylor Dorrell uses pictures of the streets of Ohio to document the tense calm before the vote and the unrest that has followed it.
Written by: Marta Bausells
The photographer capturing our most private moments
Behind Closed Doors — By spending time with the people whose lives she documents, photographer Laura Pannack produces emotive work with uncommon openness and honesty.
Written by: Laura Pannack
Inside the greatest UFO archive in history
Do you believe? — As part of Conspiracy Week at the Photographer’s Gallery, Gordon MacDonald’s latest exhibition takes a look through the archives of Wendelle C Stevens, the pioneering alien researcher who made us question whether we’re really alone in the universe.
Written by: Paden Vaughan
Abandoned in the Jungle: What refugees in Calais left behind
Humanity in focus — Photographer Gideon Mendel has been documenting scenes of struggle around the world since the 1980s. His latest project looks to the Calais migrant camp, where he collected possessions left behind.
Written by: Sophie Church
‘How I shot the Black Panthers’
A struggle for freedom — Photographer Stephen Shames documented the Black Panther Party over seven years, creating the definitive record of America’s Black nationalist movement.
Written by: Alex King
The world’s best photojournalists share their most compassionate images
Conditions of the heart — Magnum photographers reflect on the enormous role empathy and human connection play in their work, including Jim Goldberg, Diana Markosian and Newsha Tavakolian.
Written by: Alex King
The white photographer who documented the rise and fall of the Black Panthers
Power to the People — Over seven years, photographer Stephen Shames created the definitive visual record of the Black Panther Party, from their political organising to free food programmes.
Written by: Alex King
The greatest struggles and subcultures of the 1960s
Breaking with the old way — Danny Lyon pioneered a new form of photojournalism in the 1960s, getting deep with his subjects and seeing the world through their eyes: in prisons, biker gangs and in the Civil Rights Movement.
Written by: Alex King