David Campbell on what matters in storytelling.

Robert Capa said: “If your pictures aren’t good enough you aren’t close enough.” Todd Papageorge said: “If your pictures aren’t good enough you aren’t reading enough.” Professor David Campbell delivered a talk on ‘Narrative, Power and Responsibility’, within photography and storytelling.

Beginning with exploring the notion of narrative, David mentioned the significance of the relationship between the event and its story. As Allen Feldman states “The event is not what happens. The event is that which can be narrated.” An event – and crucially any implication it may have – is determined by the means of which it has been narrated/recollected/viewed etc. A story is always constructed not found. And the idea of an overall or ‘full’ narrative is a fallacy – this is simply their nature, and one that must be acknowledged by photographic and storyteller practitioners. David therefore urges that the onus be on a consideration of context, of how an individual story will fit into the wider issue, and the importance of research, before producing or telling such a story.

“To me, the work that is most powerful, the work that sustains itself over time, is the work that understands its own context; not only its own context of production, distribution and publication, but the context of the issues that it’s trying to portray visually.”

David went on to highlight the popularity of narrative: the idea that it offers a sense of purpose and meaning, something that is more comprehensive and less ‘messy’ than the experiences of everyday life. Context takes the form of a setting for a statement, idea or event – and can be considered as the wider issue which already holds people’s attention. This coupled with the natural attraction to narrative, explains the interest, demand for, and therefore success of, stories which can be accessed and understood.  

David raised a crucial point about the relationship between individuals and the context: the issue is not an entity to witness, but you can witness the issue in individuals who embody it – and this he states, is one of the most fundamental things to consider when putting a narrative together.

To finish, David brought forward the questions of power and responsibility that an image/story-maker holds, and to what purpose they might direct themselves when they have the potential to effect change. David soon illuminated the fact that it is rare for an image to seriously effect change to the extent that the image-maker may have desired. To counter this, he suggested a greater effort be put to the thought and research of a story, with particular attention to context and narrative.

“…that outcome will be maximised, the prospects for change will be greater, if those ideas of narrative and context are better understood. Because the more that you can relate work to particular contexts – both what’s involved in the issue, and also the channels through which it gets distributed – then potentially the greater impact it can have.”


A full recording of the talk, and the questions that followed, can be found at #phonar.