Why we must photograph the biggest moments — now, not later

Why is it so important to catch the defining moments of our time with a camera? To me, the answer is simple. If we don’t document the culture and history we are living through—here and now—future generations lose their most reliable eyewitness. Without tangible records, opportunists can rewrite events to suit their purposes. History shows how easily skilful propagandists can persuade the public, paving the way for tighter control and needless suffering.

Sadly, there are still places where fear and intimidation shape daily life. This is exactly why cameras—whether a professional system or a phone—matter. They help us witness, remember, and hold the line against forgetting. And, if we’re lucky, they help ensure the worst chapters are not repeated.

If you’re looking for inspiration, start with these essential documentary photographers and a few of their most important books.

Jan Grarup

– And Then There Was Silence (2017)
– Where the World Ends (2020)

James Nachtwey

– Inferno (1999)
– Deeds of War (1989)
– Memoria (2016)

Sebastião Salgado

– Workers (1993)
– Migrations (2000)
– Genesis (2013)

Susan Meiselas

– Nicaragua (1981)
– Carnival Strippers (1976; later editions)
– Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History (1997)

Mary Ellen Mark

– Streetwise (1988; expanded editions)
– Ward 81 (1979)
– Indian Circus (1993)

Philip Jones Griffiths

– Vietnam Inc. (1971)
– Agent Orange: Collateral Damage in Vietnam (2003)

Eugene Richards

– Cocaine True, Cocaine Blue (1994)
– Dorchester Days (1978; updated)
– War Is Personal (2010)

Gilles Peress

– Telex Iran (1984; expanded editions)
– Farewell to Bosnia (1994)
– Whatever You Say, Say Nothing (2021)

Paolo Pellegrin

– Paolo Pellegrin (2018, retrospective)
– As I Was Dying (2007)
– Dies Irae (2020, with Alex Majoli)

Raghu Rai

– Raghu Rai’s India (2007)
– Delhi: A Portrait (2012)
– Rail Journeys (2010)

Zanele Muholi

– Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail the Dark Lioness (2017)
– Zanele Muholi (2021, retrospective)
– On Rape (2022)

Laia Abril

– A History of Misogyny ( 2014)  This is a multi-chapter project that includes several books:
On Abortion
On Rape
On Mass Hysteria

If you have a favorite title I’ve missed, add it in the comments. And if you’re joining one of our workshops, bring a few of these books into your visual diet—you’ll feel the difference the next time you raise your camera.

by Christian Nørgaard,

Photographer and Founder of Better Moments