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
Antoine Maume
Theme used: FiberA storyteller and image-maker, photographer Antoine Maume creates sensitive and cinematic visual narratives that blend emotion, light, and humanity. His work explores the places, faces, atmospheres, and moments that tell a story. From the Opal Coast to Mexico, he develops a deeply narrative style of photography, inspired by cinema, reportage, and art photography. He was a LensCulture 2025 finalist and a member of the French team at the 2021 World Photographic Cup.
https://www.antoinemaume.comthomasfliche
Theme used: ModeBorn in Paris in 1988, Thomas Fliche lived in the city suburbs until he was twenty years old. He began photographing the inspired urban culture of the 1990s. At the same time, he immersed himself in the various communities and made a series of portraits in traditional dress. He then developed a passion for life stories, often linked to the history of territories, and developed his own documentary style.
https://www.thomasfliche.comTerna Iwar
Theme used: OverlapTerna Iwar is an abuja-based photographer. Terna studied Computing and Digital Media at Galway-Mayo Institute of technology but spent most of his time that time working in design and photographing the world around him. His work encompases fashion, documentary and portraiture. Terna contributes to publications including NPR, The Guardian UK, and The New York Times, among others.
https://www.ternaiwar.comMyles Shelly
Theme used: CoralBorn in Waterford Myles Shelly is currently based in Dublin and studied photography at the Belfast school of art and fine art at the Limerick school of art and design. He works on personal projects about our relationship with the natural world, in addition to photographing a diverse range of commissions. Myles loves to photograph people, places, and still lifes and create abstract, painterly images.
https://www.mylesshelly.comAmy Jones
Theme used: CurveAmy Jones spotlights urgent issues affecting animals and the environment. She has worked across ten countries to document the realities of the wildlife trade, intensive farming, and animal testing, while also exploring stories of sanctuary, hope, and resilience. Her work has been honoured by leading wildlife and photojournalism awards, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the Siena Awards, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and MontPhoto, where she was named Overall Winner.
https://www.amyrjones.comDailly Armony
Theme used: Horizon LeftArmony Dailly is a French photographer and videographer originally based in Sevran, in Seine-Saint-Denis (93). This territory plays a central role in her work. Guided and influenced by her emotion, cinema, dreams and photos from her childhood, her work explores intimacy, human relationships, and memory. The female gaze is a very important value in her work. She portrays strong women with beautiful vulnerabilities.
https://www.armonydailly.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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Start your free accountGuillaume Poulet-Mathis
Theme used: ModeGuillaume Poulet-Mathis is a French–Australian photographer based in Sydney. Working in a documentary, observational style, he focuses on people, place, and the unnoticed moments that unfold in everyday urban life. His recent work has been made across France, Spain, Japan, the United States, and Australia.
https://www.guillaumepouletmathis.comConor Beary
Theme used: KilnConor Beary is a London based documentary and portrait photographer. He has worked with clients such as New York Times, Vogue, Hunger Magazine, Mother London, Gup Magazine, Gieves and Hawkes and more.
https://www.conorbeary.comFinn Gomez
Theme used: OraFinn Gomez is a Detroit-based photojournalist and current photo intern at the Detroit Free Press. His work spans breaking news, cultural events, and daily life across Michigan.
https://www.finngomez.comDouglas Almeida
Theme used: SkylineDouglas Almeida is a photographer, visual artist, and photography researcher based in São Paulo, Brazil. He holds a degree in Social Communication with a focus on Advertising and also completed a Photography program at the Panamerican School of Arts in São Paulo. As a photographer, he has taken part in several group exhibitions, including *"New Flights Connection Between Art, Photography and Design"* at the Art Hub Gallery in Dubai.
https://www.douglasalmeida.netAdil Rahman
Theme used: PointAdil Rahman is a New York City–based visual storyteller with a background in film, media studies, and documentary photography. With over seven years of hands-on experience in photography, cinematography, and post-production, he specializes in capturing authentic, narrative-driven visuals across urban environments and community-focused stories. His work blends artistic composition with journalistic integrity, drawing from a deep understanding of camera operation, lighting, and visual language.
https://www.arvisuals.netÖzge Sebzeci
Theme used: CurveBorn next to the Bosphorus, Özge Sebzeci is a documentary and portrait photographer based in Istanbul, Turkiye, focusing on stories about gender, migration and ecology. Her approach revolves around establishing trust and intimacy with the people she photographs. She is deeply committed to diverse perspectives in visual storytelling. Özge Sebzeci is a National Geographic Society and Magnum Foundation grantee.
https://www.ozgeseb.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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Start your free accountTanya 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://www.tanyamcgeever.comRomain 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://www.romainphilippon.comAlex Dinaut
Theme used: IndustryAlex 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://www.alexdinaut.netEmmanuel 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://www.emmanuelguillen.comRoshni 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://www.roshnikhatri.comIza 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://www.marphotograph.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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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://www.galileocheng.comNicolas 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://www.nicolasniggemeyer.comJONTY WILDE
Theme used: ObscuraJonty 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://www.jontywilde.comValérie 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://www.valeriebaeriswyl.comTina 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://www.tinababakishvili.comDavid 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://www.davidsladek.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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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://www.nickywoo.comKT Kanazawich
Theme used: ReflexKT 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://www.ktkanazawich.comKarim 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://www.karimtebache.comJonathan 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://www.jonathanfrydman.comCheney 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://www.cheneyorr.comBernard 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://www.bernardkalu.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.