The Film Photography Documentary List

Asked to choose my favourite five online photography documentaries I simply had too many favourites. And several of my best choices were no longer available to view. So I put together a fast list from my bookmarks list. I’ve tried to keep only the longer and more value packed video documentaries. I’ve also avoided any documentary that’s a part of a series – such as the BBC Master Photographer series from 1983, The Genius of Photography series, theVogue Masters series and The Wonderful World of Albert Kahn from 2007 and the Contacts (Vol 1-3) series – as I’ll be posting those links on other occasions. So, here goes… these documentaries should keep you going for a month or two of film entertainment.

1. Edward Weston: The Photographer (1948) – 27 mins
2. The Woodmans – 82 mins
3. Henri Cartier-Bresson: Just Plain Love – 71 mins
4. Henri Cartier-Bresson: Pen, Brush & Camera – 49 mins
5. Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment – 18 mins
6. Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye – 70 mins
7. Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye (1999) – 83 mins
8. J H Lartique (part 1, part 2, part 3 & part 4) – 29 mins
9. What Remains: The Life & Work of Sally Mann – 80 mins
10. David Bailey: Four Beats to the Bar and no Cheating – 52 mins
11. Duffy: The Man who shot the Sixties – 54 mins
12. Robert Capa: In Love and War – 84 mins
13. Bob Capa Tells of Photographic Experiences Abroad (audio 1947) – 23 mins
14. W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult (part 1, part 2, part 3,part 4, part 5a, part 5b, part 6, part 7, part 8 & part 9) – 90 mins
15. The Lost Pictures of Eugene Smith – 38 mins
16. The Life & Work of W. Eugene Smith – 79 mins
17. Shooting War: World War II Combat Cameramen (part 1, part 2, part 3,part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8 & part 9) – 90 mins
18. Sebastio Salgado: Looking Back at You (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4,part 5 & part 6) – 50 mins
19. Salgado: Spectre of Hope – 51 mins
20. Tina Modotti: Without Walls (part 1, part 2, part 3 & part 4 – 52 mins
21. Man Ray: The man who invented himself – 39 mins
22. Man Ray – 52 mins
23. Bob Robinson: Capturing the Norwegians – 10 mins
24. Meet Robert A Robinson: Photographer – 29 mins
25. Don McCullin: Images of War – 24 mins
26. Don McCulllin: Redundant Warrior – 24 mins
27. Don McCullin: Seeking the Light – 27 mins
28. McCullin (2012) – 91 mins
29. Vietnam’s Unseen War – 53 mins
30. Elliott Erwitt: Personal Best – 10 mins
31. At Home with Elliott Erwitt – 10 mins
32. Elliott Erwitt: Photographer – 22 mins
33. Searching for Vivian Maier (part 1, part 2 & part 3) – 33 mins
34. Vivian Maier: Who took nanny’s pictures? – 68 mins
35. Vivian Maier – 12 mins
36. Bruce Gilden: Coney Island – 11 mins
37. The Greatest Photojournalist: Alfred Eisenstadt – 28 mins
38. Harold Feinstein: Photographer, artist, teacher, human being (part 1 &part 2) – 15 mins
39. Ansel Adams: Photographer (1958) – 21 mins
40. Ansel Adams: Photographer (1981) (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 & part 5) – 59 mins
41. Ansel Adams (2002) – 82 mins
42. Frank Hurley (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 & part 6) – 60 mins
43. Paul Strand: Under the Dark Cloth (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5& part 6) – 80 mins
44. Richard Avedon: Darkness & Light – 86 mins
45. Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge – 100 mins
46. Fire in the East: A Portrait of Robert Frank – 28 mins
47. Leaving Home, Coming Home: A Portrait of Robert Frank (2005) – 49 mins
48. Arnold Newman – 40 mins
49. The Many Lives of William Klein (2012) – 59 mins
50. In Conversation: William Klein – 111 mins
51. Moriyama Daido: Near Equal – 84 mins
52. Nobuyoshi Araki: Arakimentari – 75 mins
53. Naked States – 74 mins
54. Joel Meyerowitz: Street Photography (1981) – 57 mins
55. Nan Golden: In My Life – 28 mins
56. Imagine: The Colourful Mr Eggleston – 47 mins
57. William Eggleston in the Real World – 85 mins
58. Cindy Sherman: Nobody’s Here but Me (1994) – 55 mins
59. Annie Leibovitz (1993) – 50 mins
60. Jan Saudek – 91 mins
61. The World according to Martin Parr – 44 mins
62. Half Past Autumn: The Life & Work of Gordon Parkes – 90 mins
63. Remembering LIFE – 57 mins
64. America in Pictures: The Story of LIFE Magazine – 60 mins
65. James Nachtwey: War Photographer – 96 mins
66. Yousuf Karsh (part 1, part 2 & part 3) – 26 mins
67. The Real Weegee – 56 mins
68. Six Photographs: Rennie Burri – 11 mins
69. George Eastman: The Wizard of Photography (part 1, part 2 & part 3) – 50 mins
70. The History of Photography: Beaumont Newhall – 25 mins
71. Laura Gilpin: The Enduring Photographer – 25 mins
72. Eliot Porter: A Look Back (part 1 & part 2) – 25 mins
73. Military Police Photography (1965) – 25 mins
74. Eugene and Berenice – 52 mins
75. The Lives of Lee Miller – 56 mins
76. The Weird World of Eadweard Muybridge – 58 mins
77. Eve and Marilyn (part 1, part 2 & part 3) – 31 mins
78. Tony Vaccaro: World War II Photographer – 17 mins
79. George Rose, Stereographs and the Russo Japanese War – 20 mins
80. The Lomo Camera: Shoot from the Hip – 59 mins
81. Trent Park: Dreamlives (2002) – 25 mins
82. Chester Higgins Jr: Capturing the Spirit – 27 mins
83. National Geographic: The Last Roll of Kodachrome – 31 mins
84. Born into Brothels (2004) – 83 mins
85. A Great Day in Harlam: The Photograph (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4,Part 5, Part 6 & Part 7) – 59 mins
86. Rankin: Shooting the Hollywood Stars – 66 mins
87. South Africa in Pictures – 60 mins
88. Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters – 77 mins
89. Gregory Crewdson: Capturing a Movie Frame – 27 mins
90. Legends in Light: George Hurrell – 56 mins
91. Gursky World – 23 mins
92. The History & Science of Color Film – 21 mins
93. Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman – 80 mins
94. Edward Burtynsky: Manufactured Landscapes – 86 mins
95. The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl – 189 mins
96. Who Shot Rock and Roll: Akron Art Museum – 27 mins
97. Bob Gruen: Rock and Roll Photographer – 27 mins
98. Magnum Photos:The Changing of the Myth – 58 mins
99. Long Live Film – 47 mins
100. Geoff Davies: Photographer – 61 mins
101. The Death of Kevin Carter – 27 mins
102. Alexander Gardner: War Photographer – 44 mins
103. Bob Marley: Giant – 18 mins

About the Author

My name is Steven Clark (aka nortypig) and I shoot film photography for fun. I have an MBA (Specialisation) and a Bachelor of Computing from the University of Tasmania. Currently in pursuit of investment for a local business venture. Dreams of owning the World. Idea champion. Paradox. Life partner to Megan.