What opportunities does cinematic photography offer documentary filmmakers in the digital age?

Why Embrace Cinematic Photography?

Cinematic photography offers a unique aesthetic that elevates mood, authenticity, and emotion in a documentary. Cinematic images display depth, grain, and texture beyond digital capabilities, capturing subtle nuances of light, color, and movement. This approach demands greater intentionality, skill, and patience—working with limited frames, manual settings, and delayed feedback. It allows for focused quality and meaning in every shot, while fostering a more intimate, respectful relationship with subjects.

What are the Challenges?

Cinematic photography isn’t without obstacles, especially for documentarians facing tight budgets, strict deadlines, and complex logistics. Film stock is more expensive and less available than digital media, and requires specialized equipment, processing, and storage. It also raises ethical and practical dilemmas—like obtaining consent, safeguarding privacy, and properly archiving work. Finding a balance between film and digital tools is essential to ensure a documentary is both accessible and sustainable.

How to Begin This Journey?

For those interested in exploring cinematic photography in documentary filmmaking, thorough research and planning are imperative. Choosing the right format, camera, lens, and film stock based on the project’s budget, style, and goals is crucial. You’ll also need to find a reliable lab—or learn to develop film yourself—and decide how to present and distribute the documentary. Drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Nan Goldin, Sebastião Salgado, and Agnès Varda can be invaluable.

What are the Rewards?

Cinematic photography can offer significant rewards to documentarians willing to take on its risks and challenges. It enhances artistic vision, narrative development, and personal expression. It also creates a unique connection with audiences, who can appreciate the beauty, honesty, and distinctiveness of the images. On a social level, cinematic photography can raise awareness, spark dialogue, and inspire action around important issues.

Inspirational Examples

Documentary projects that incorporate cinematic photography can have a powerful impact. For example, The Salt of the Earth (2014) offers a fascinating black-and-white glimpse into the life and work of Sebastião Salgado, capturing global human and environmental crises. The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986) features intimate, sincere cinematic photography by Nan Goldin, while Faces Places (2017) follows Agnès Varda and JR as they create large-scale cinematic portraits in rural France.

• The Salt of the Earth (2014)

• The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986)

• Faces Places (2017)