Discovery Channel has launched a new documentary series called “Photographer,” which is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Have you ever walked through a gallery or museum and found yourself wondering more about the who, how and why behind the art? If so, this new docu-series needs to be at the top of your watch list. You may be wondering how six individual hour-long episodes about photography could pique or keep your interest. But I am here to tell you, it can and it will.
Each of the episodes follows a different photographer on their own journey to get the exact shot they want for the purpose they need – science, conservation, activism and their own personal goals and growth. It doesn’t take long to realize that this series is about far more than simply taking a photo. This is a story of human triumph, creativity and how we are all connected to nature and each other.
Make people curious. Make them care. Make them want to learn.
The show starts off with photographers Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier, a couple who are shooting underwater in the Bahamas in hopes of chasing off big oil companies. Their goal is to show nature in an intimate and present way to convey how important the whole environment is, down to the seagrass.
The episodes expose the risk of physical danger that these photographers can find themselves in. In fact, the level of risk, creativity and work that goes into getting just the right photo is incredible to witness and very unexpected. You will be rooting for their success, eager to see the pictures they can capture and seeing the world in a new way. Even the smallest unseen things come into focus.
Showcasing raw emotions
As the episodes progress, there is an increasing focus on the raw emotions of the person behind the photos. This is most obvious in episode four, “Campbell Addy: Feeling Seen.” Addy is a fashion photographer who is opening his own solo art show for the first time. Even though everyone he photographs feels he understands them, he still doesn’t truly understand himself. It’s a slower story in terms of the extreme photos and exciting experiments of other episodes. The focus is more of the emotional risks everyone takes to express themselves.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but this series will make you realize it is even more than that, it is representation, identity, creativity and the human spirit. It’s all about raising up the voices of the people and environments being photographed. It stands to connect and communicate with people, using still images.
Photographer documentary showcases breathtaking cinematography
It is a given that a show about photography is going to have amazing photos in it, but the cinematography is also breathtaking. There is a good balance of getting shots of expeditions that are fantastical and jaw-dropping. But it also keeps a very personal feel with the photographers, as if you are on these jobs with them.
Photos are present in our everyday lives. It is not until watching a story like this that you realize how exciting and dangerous photography can be. The impact it really has, the story it can tell, the emotion and change it can bring. There is a moment in each of these photographers’ stories where a picture changed their lives and put them on a path to change the course of other people’s lives with their work.
The process of capturing wonder and magic
This show makes you wonder, makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger and that you can do anything. It may be a non-fiction documentary, but it still feels like you are watching magic happen and that it is real. The work behind-the-scenes may just something you may not have paid attention to before.
Photography is this search for magic, for wonder. And it’s everywhere.
Author review and takeaway
I would recommend this show to even the most casual enjoyer of art and media. It is intriguing, emotional and very well put together. The visuals are captivating, and the structure of the show is so well thought out. It keeps the pacing from dragging or feeling too long. Each episode can be watched separately, or it can be binged all at once. But either way, you will walk away from it feeling a sense of awe and motivation. My only warning is to keep your own camera nearby because when you finish watching you may feel the need to pick it up, start a new hobby and begin seeing the world through your own new lens.
Your knowledge of photography can continue to grow with Jasmine Somers, a photo-pro in Orlando using Soviet Era lenses to capture the theme parks. Somers showcases how old tech can be modernized to create dream-like effects.
