Documentary Storytellers – Details, episodes & analysis

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Documentary Storytellers

Chris King

Society & Culture

Frequency: 1 episode/62d. Total Eps: 12

Documentary Storytellers with Chris King explores the photography and filmmaking practice necessary to have meaningful impact on the issues we document and help create positive change in our cultures. A fortnightly series of in-depth interviews with documentary photographers and documentary filmmakers discussing their journies and practices. W: https://documentarystorytellers.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/documentarystorytellers/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7492458/

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🇩🇪 Germany - documentary
25/11/2025
#96

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Score global : 69%

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Maren Krings - Photojournalist and climate impact storyteller

Season 1 · Episode 12

Monday, December 9, 2024 • Duration 01:13:16

Maren Krings is a German freelance photojournalist and climate impact storyteller whose work seeks solutions to socio-ecological impacts to help mitigate the current climate crisis.

We talk about Maren’s journey, of course, but also the importance of solutions-focused stories, and how, alone, these are not enough - diversity is critical to maximise engagement with an issue. We talk about challenges around mental health, the benefits of seeking support from others to form a strong team, and the impact this can have on you, your story, and what you create. We also explore the benefits of engaging a story doctor – a service I’d never come across before. And so much more.

This interview was recorded at the end of November in 2023. But everything we speak about is as relevant now as it was then.

Follow Maren

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Vimeo

Follow Documentary Storytellers

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Follow me, Chris King

Portfolio
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Notes

Paulien Bakker (Story Doctor)

Ricardo Báez (Book designer)

Aaju Peter – Twice Colonised

Read moreCollapse

Joanne Coates - Documentary Photographer

Season 1 · Episode 11

Monday, November 11, 2024 • Duration 01:07:09

It’s been a long time since I produced an episode – despite having recorded a number of interviews. The reason being that I was dealing with a serious health issue that took a significant toll on me, and I’m only now starting to get to grips with it.

I’m going to produce and publish the 4 interviews I carried out, because I owe it to the people I spoke to, who were kind enough to give up their time to talk to me and whose stories and work I really want to share. After that, I’m going to change things up a little bit.

I’ll continue producing podcasts, but in a different format, and I’ll be doing a lot more writing. I’ll also be setting up a couple of initiatives to support documentary storytellers on their journey.

If you’re listening to this, and would like to be kept informed of what I produce next, then please sign up to the newsletter via Substack or become a supporter via Patreon.

What really struck me about Joanne Coates was not only her work, but how in her biography and elsewhere she identifies as a working class photographer. I find that statement very powerful. It shares with the world an aspect of our identity that might otherwise go unnoticed. Declaring one’s class, provides others with some idea of our lived experience and the struggles we may have faced – both generally speaking and as a documentary storytellers. As we discuss, the history of photography and filmmaking is deeply rooted in elitism, as well as colonialism, and the patriarchy – forces that continue to heavily influence these media to this day. The only way in which we’re going to be able to decouple visual storytelling from these destructive forces – if we ever will in the advent of AI – is to acknowledge it, talk about it, and develop the tools to build a more just and humane alternative.

This is exactly the purpose of these podcasts, the articles I write to accompany them, and the platform I hope to build on these foundations.

02 - Klaus Thymann - Documentary Filmmaker and Photographer

Season 1 · Episode 2

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 • Duration 01:00:17

As a documentary storyteller, Klaus has walked an unconventional path, developing a range of different skills along the way - not just photography and filmmaking - that allow him to create and manage multidisciplinary projects. Since 2008 he has achieved this in part through Project Pressure, an organisation he created with a focus on climate change.

Beyond Klaus’s evolution as a journalist and documentary storyteller, we discuss the issue of climate change and visual communication around the issue, as well as the language we use to discuss it. We also discuss how to engage the public on the outcomes of academic research related to the critical issues of our time, the need for us to go beyond simply documenting an issue, and play a more active role in helping create the change we want to see, the potential benefits of collaboration, and much, much more.

For anyone in Berlin at the moment, Klaus’s organisation Project Pressure has organised an exhibition at Kühlhaus Berlin from the 17th February to the 5th March, including work from Simon Norfolk and Noémie Goudal. There’s an opening night reception on the 17th and panel discussions on the 18th on visualising climate change. So, if you’re fortunate enough to be in Berlin right now, then be sure to check it out.

You can see Klaus’s work at klausthymann.com and his organisation, Project Pressure, at project-pressure.org

NOTES

Project Pressure

Joseph Michael

Voices for the future

Simon Norfolk

Noémie Goudal

01 - Rebecca Conway - Documentary Photographer

Season 1 · Episode 1

Tuesday, January 31, 2023 • Duration 01:08:39

In this first episode of the new Documentary Storytellers podcast, I’m speaking to Rebecca Conway – a documentary photographer from the UK who won the Camille lepage prize at last year’s (2022) Visa pour L’Image photography festival in Perpignan, France. A few years ago Rebecca made the transition from picture editor and written-word journalist to photographer out of a desire to explore stories visually, and feeling a greater affinity with photography. She focuses a lot on the impact of conflict on people’s mental health, and what it means to live with the aftermath of war and conflict. She also explores stories related to climate change – again with a human focus.

We talk about Rebecca’s journey to where she is now, the challenges and benefits of being a white western woman documenting life in Asia, the value of exploring long-term photography projects and embedding yourself somewhere, and much more.

Photography Portfolio

NOTES

Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award

10 - Smita Sharma - Documentary photographer

Season 1 · Episode 10

Tuesday, November 28, 2023 • Duration 56:52

In this episode I’m speaking to Smita Sharma - a Delhi-based photojournalist and visual storyteller reporting on critical human rights, gender, social justice and environmental issues – both in India and throughout the Global South.

Smita is actively engaged in public speaking, victim advocacy and international public education, and her work has been exhibited and published globally, including at the UN Headquarters in New York. She recently published her first photo book We Cry In Silence documenting cross-border trafficking of underage girls in South Asia, published by FotoEvidence. Smita’s been organising a campaign in the region aimed at educating and raising awareness amongst the communities most vulnerable to human trafficking.

We discuss all this and other steps Smita has done to maximise the impact her work, along with her motivation for doing what she does, her experiences with publications and organisations from the Global North, and much more.

Follow Smita

Portfolio: https://bit.ly/3Dn4nOY

‘We Cry In Silence’ Photobook: https://bit.ly/3XWScll

TED Talk: https://bit.ly/3ryfhi2

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3T7A6wF

Vimeo: https://bit.ly/3GiQjqS

Follow Documentary Storytellers

Website: https://bit.ly/3Qa0k01

09 - Natalie Keyssar - Documentary photographer

Season 1 · Episode 9

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 • Duration 01:00:30

Natalie is a documentary photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is interested in inequality, youth culture, and the personal effects of political turmoil and violence, primarily in the US and Latin America.

As always we cover a wide range of topics, including the impact her work as a photographer has had on Natalie’s view of the world, our capacity as documentary storytellers and the potential for photography to create meaningful change, and the need for us to support one another and the ways in which we can do that…and of course much more.

Photography Portfolio | ⁠Instagram⁠

Podcast hosted and produced by ⁠⁠Chris King⁠

This episode is brought to you by Open Eye Media, which is me. For over 15 years, alongside my photography and filmmaking, I’ve been building websites professionally as a freelancer. So, if you’d like to discuss anything related to your website needs – be it a rebuild, a new build, SEO, writing or editing content, or even help with image and video editing, everything and anything related to your online presence, then email me at chris@openeyemedia.net.

Notes

Daniella Zalcman

Anastasia Taylor-Lind

08 - Gemma Atkinson - Documentary filmmaker

Season 1 · Episode 8

Friday, June 9, 2023 • Duration 01:02:28

This week I’m speaking to documentary filmmaker Gemma Atkinson, who is based between London and Barcelona, and co-founded the production company Fat Rat Films 15 years ago where she is the current creative director. Gemma has a vast amount of experience within the documentary filmmaking industry, and has produced countless films and other content for NGOs and international institutions across the globe, as well as her own personal projects.

Gemma and I discuss her motivations for creating a production company over freelancing, how her approach to documentary storytelling and filmmaking has changed over the years, and continues to change, how to be an effective storyteller, and much more.

Portfolio | Instagram | Vimeo

Podcast hosted and produced by ⁠Chris King

Notes

Touching the void

Catfish

Act of Terror (animation by Gemma)

Una Marzorati

Equidem

Comic Relief

07 - Michael Snyder - Documentary photographer and filmmaker

Season 1 · Episode 7

Wednesday, May 17, 2023 • Duration 01:17:00

This week I’m speaking with Mike Snyder – a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Charlottesville in the US. In his work, Mike explores the dynamic relationship between environmental and cultural change. An environmental and climate scientist by training, Mike uses his combined knowledge of visual storytelling and conservation to create narratives that drive social impact.

Mike and I discuss topics such as how best to approach human stories in a way that maximises the positive impact – through having a considered, rigorous and impact-first approach to planning, implementation, and outputs. We also chat about how Mike goes about getting funding and his approach to pitching his stories, as well as his thoughts on how we can become better storytellers, and how to best prepare for shoots - whether photography and filmmaking.

There’s so much to take away from our chat – both practical, actionable advice, and ideas to reflect on in relation to impact-driven visual storytelling.

Photography and Filmmaking Portfolio | Instagram

Podcast hosted and produced by ⁠Chris King

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SUBJECTS & TIMECODES

Inspiration for picking up a camera [2:09]

What is about climate change communication that has failed to inspire meaningful action and behaviour change [6:05]

The multi-dimensional approach to climate change communication that includes both solutions and impacts [10:41]

How to get stories in front of policymakers and inspire them to take action [12:07]

How to explore a human story and having true impact on the issue being documented [15:58]

06 - Savannah Dodd - Photographer and founder of Photography Ethics Centre

Season 1 · Episode 6

Wednesday, May 3, 2023 • Duration 55:13

Through Documentary Storytellers I want to help promote a more considered form of documentary storytelling, enhance the positive impact our work has on the issues we document, and to help in some way with decolonising photography and filmmaking, and visual communication in general.

Because of the pervasive influence and insidious nature of forces such as patriarchal and colonial mindsets, which, all too often, go unnoticed or unacknowledged, someone from the Global North, for example, going to the Global South with good intentions to explore an issue is not sufficient to ensure the positive impact they wish to have is actually realised. We need to become conscious of our own role as photographers and filmmakers in maintaining certain power dynamics and prevailing narratives through the way we work and represent the people and communities we document, and impact this has.

As documentary storytellers are one of the groups at the frontline of shaping culture, we can either contribute to maintaining the status quo, or we can challenge it and contribute to its disruption and the creation of a more just, egalitarian, and compassionate world. The only way we are going to help change our cultures for the better, is if we become mindful of our own role within them - to become aware of the biases and prejudices we hold, and work on addressing or managing them – to ensure that when documenting communities of which we are not a part, we act in a way that maximises the potential for our work to have the positive outcome we intended, and not inadvertently contribute to maintaining a narrative that lies at the root of the issue we are documenting.

So, to start this process, in this episode I speak to Savannah Dodd – a photographer and anthropologist originally from the USA, but now living in Northern Ireland – just down the road from my family as it happens. In 2017, Savannah founded the Photography Ethics Centre an organisation dedicated to promoting ethical literacy across the photography industry through workshops, events, online courses, and free multimedia content.

Photography Portfolio | Instagram

05 - Laurel Chor - Documentary photographer, filmmaker, and journalist

Season 1 · Episode 5

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 • Duration 01:15:37

This episode and features Laurel Chor – a documentary photographer, filmmaker, and journalist who is exploring a range of different topics – from manta ray conservation to the war in the Ukraine, using a variety of media.

We explore the biases we as individuals have that influence how we explore the stories we document through documentary photography and filmmaking, but also the value of our own unique experiences and perspective. We talk about the challenges Laurel has experienced being a woman of colour, the need for self-care to ensure we’re able to continue to document the issues we care about and push for the change we want to see, and much more.

Photography and Filmmaking Portfolio | Instagram

Podcast hosted and produced by Chris King

References

Arman Dzidzovic

Andrei Kalashnikov

What it’s like being a stripper in Florida during Covid

Coconuts

Vice on HBO

MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management