Communicating stories of industry, sustainability, or social impact that are presented visually have the ability to move, mobilise and motivate, which is why photography continues to be such powerful tools for businesses and organisations, particularly those who want to document what they do and how they do it. Whether it is for internal communication, change management, stakeholder engagement or social history, I have spent the past 25+ years creating stories for global brands, charities and the public sector.
If you want to achieve natural looking photographs that are created in the documentary style, then I can help.
I often work in black and white because my clients want to achieve a documentary feel with the images but I work in colour as well – many examples in the blog.
My clients usually need to educate, inform, influence, or celebrate their work. They choose me because I understand their objectives, I can propose the right solution, and I can deliver what they need within their budget. (Find out more about my approach to projects and pricing further down this page).
The work that I do falls broadly into three core categories:
Since the advent of photography businesses have documented their progress, capturing innovations, growth, people, customers and their impact on society. Today many companies such as Cadbury, John Lewis and Diageo have archives that are rich with visual stories going back to the 19th century. What was once a celebration of a moment in time is now a reference of social and commercial history that continues to inform and inspire 150 years later.
Industry is the backbone of every society and often under appreciated and yet when we see images of people at work, using tools and machinery we are transfixed. What is normal for a boat engineer or a blast furnace operative is another world for many and deserves to be celebrated.
Projects cover a wide range of subjects and include everything from ways of working, to following a manufacturing process, to documenting the creation of a new development or product, to the day in the life of a workplace environment.
A key driver for these types of projects is often a desire to bring a story to an audience where it would be impractical to take to the audience to the story.
You can read more about business documentary photography here, read my blog on industrial photography here and read about how photography can be used as a business tool here.
Social documentary covers a number of aspects. For charities and public services it is the work they do and the impact that work has on society. This is now also true of businesses who invest in local communities where they operate.
We are all aware that society changes and that change can sometimes bring new challenges, which photography can help to highlight and share with a wider audience. Economic hardship is a typical example of a changing society.
Changes can also be positive, such as the regeneration of an area where the before and after images can highlight the extent of positive change and investment that leads to a better quality of life.
Social documentary can involve long form projects than span months or years but can also be completed in a day or two, depending on the objectives and budgets.
Unlike industrial photography which can be very predictable and therefore relatively simple to photograph, social documentary has to be more fluid and might need to take account of vulnerable people or cultural differences to achieve the objectives.
Read here about a 12 months project for Stonepillow, a homeless charity in the south of England.
I create sustainability communications through compelling visual stories.
Capturing and visually documenting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG), Social Impact and Sustainable Development initiatives is becoming an integral part of business strategy.
Giving back to society and being a good corporate citizen is now a significant part of business-as-usual. Fortune 500 companies spend $20 billion per year on CSR, which is often measured, celebrated and reported on a regular basis. Many of these businesses, who are proud to be contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals, want to visually document and case study their achievements.
CSR photography, sustainability communications, or social impact photography requires an understanding of the sustainability agenda and the impact that CSR initiatives have on the community and environment. Photography stories are an effective way to capture, document, share and archive the contribution that companies are making to deliver a sustainable world for all; and helps businesses to raise awareness of issues, bringing them to the attention of a wider audience.
You can read more here and here.
Click the image below to download my short guide.
Anything is possible with the right amount of time and budget. However, the reality is there will always be a deadline and a limited budget. So, it all starts with a brief, from which I can propose ideas and fees.
I’ll want to understand your objectives. What do you want to achieve? Why? How will you measure success? It is helpful to know what ideas you already have and if there are brand or style guidelines that need to be adhered to.
There are three phases to every project:
The time required at each phase depends on the overall project. To give you an idea, a typical project that involves one-day of photography is usually between £950-£1,300 incl pre and post production.
The creative process works best if we collaborate. That way I can be sure that I’m giving you what you want, you can be sure that you are getting the best value, and we can both be sure to meet your objectives.
If you have a project in mind, or just want to see more examples of my work, then please get in touch.
Andrew Cameron is social documentary photographer with a particular focus on Industrial Photography, Social Impact and Humanitarian stories, and Sustainability Communications (CSR & ESG) Photography. Andrew works with businesses and organisations to create compelling visual stories to support employee communication and stakeholder engagement. Often using Black and White combined with a natural social documentary photography style to create authentic images.
