Globaldev careers: The photographer

LONDON — Photography plays a crucial role in development communications, helping donors and the public connect with people around the world that development organizations aim to support and telling the story of this work. It has also long been a controversial area, however, often accused of propagating a white savior narrative and replicating stereotypes. International development organizations still often fly European or American professionals in to photograph the communities they work with in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. But as with other sectors, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated a shift toward using local talent from the countries that NGOs work in. Esther Ruth Mbabazi, from Kampala, Uganda, is among the photographers taking advantage of this new environment. Shooting full-time since 2015, she describes herself as a documentary photographer and counts the United Nations, European Union, Save The Children and International Rescue Committee among her clients. She spoke to Devex about her work and what it takes to be a photographer in this field. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. What is the job of a documentary photographer and what does your day-to-day look like? The job of a documentary photographer is to tell people's stories as they are lived and experienced by the people themselves … [That] means we have to put our preconceived ideas about something aside, to make images that reflect the daily life of the person whose story we are telling. As I work on a freelance or consultancy basis, my day-to-day looks different — if I am not in the field photographing, I am on the road, or at home editing files, doing communications with my clients and audience, resting [or taking time for] self-care, and working on my personal projects … There are options for photographers to work with the local offices of different NGOs, but these are mostly general communication roles and not photography specifically. Mostly, [photography] opportunities are on a freelance basis. How did you end up doing this kind of work? Before I started photography, I knew I wanted to tell stories. I thought I would be a writer, so I enrolled in journalism school but coming from a humble background, money was tight and I had to work to pay my own tuition. “As a photographer, getting hired by NGOs requires extra work — being active on social media platforms [and] building a good website to showcase your work so clients can trust you’ll deliver is important.” --— Esther Ruth Mbabazi, photographer The day I found photography, something just clicked. I had found the medium through which I could reach people near and far and share stories I care about. I left school, found a photography mentor who taught me on and off, and I started practicing. I started out photographing events and arts festivals, and then started working on a nearly volunteer basis with some small local organizations. I also started working on personal documentary projects and with the publicity from this came the international clients with whom I have continued to work … As a photographer, getting hired by NGOs requires extra work — being active on social media platforms [and] building a good website to showcase your work so clients can trust you’ll deliver is important, as well as referrals and recommendations from one client to another and [from] fellow photographers. What are the best and worst parts of the job? The best part for me is being in a position where I can use my work to shine a light on issues that people experience on a daily basis — issues that many times are not well told in the media and that require much more attention than they have been given. The worst part is documenting stories that are too painful. You feel like your photography doesn't make someone's life any better. The job is also heavy — being the messenger on behalf of the person whose story you're telling — something you can't just switch off when you go home. How do you see the impact of your work? Many times, you create work and don't know the impact it has on people, but sometimes you get to hear what people are saying about a particular story you've documented, and other times you see people reach out to support a certain cause because they felt something through the images you made … The more people know about a problem, the more chance it will reach someone in a position to create a solution. What are the biggest challenges of the job and what lessons have you learned that help you overcome these? One of the big challenges are the stereotypes that have been long-held about the African continent and its people. Being a developing continent, many organizations have presented our people very wrongly and [in an undignified way] for a long time. This culture has been planted deep down so that sometimes one gets a photography brief that not only doesn't work, but is also offensive ... For example, asking a photographer to make an image of a half-naked African child out in a remote area, because “that will help emphasize how impoverished the locations they work in are.” “If I am asked to photograph something that goes against my values and ethics, I let the client know why I won't do so, and why they shouldn't be thinking of telling particular stories that way.” --— So, the challenge is working every single day in the development sector and being careful not to contribute to these misrepresentations. I have learned to be myself whenever I am sent on assignment. If I am asked to photograph something that goes against my values and ethics, I let the client know why I won't do so, and why they shouldn't be thinking of telling particular stories that way. I think as photographers, being the visual authors of these stories, we need to be sure to stand for whatever we have documented. If something doesn't sit well with you, just don't do it. What skill sets have you found to be most valuable in your career? The skill that I have found to be most useful is empathy. This is something we have to have when working with people in challenging situations — they do not need sympathy, but empathy because when you put yourself in the person's shoes and feel their pain, struggle, success, you are able to see things in new ways, and hence create photographs that correctly represent the person. How have you seen your work change over the years as the sector has changed? I have realized that many organizations are trying ... to hire local talent more than when I started. [Back then] it was very hard to come by assignments with the international clients as they used to fly in photographers from their home countries. This shift is great for us, the local creatives — we get to work, but mostly it is great as collectively this helps dissolve the long-held stereotypes created by images from the continent, which were mostly made by people who, without knowledge of the cultures, ended up misrepresenting us. What advice would you have for other professionals looking to do this kind of work? I'd advise people interested in documentary photography for a career to be themselves, because it is only fair that one tells stories they care about and are excited to document with respect and dignity and understanding.