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.