I will begin this article by stating that I believe that any photographer today that wants to build a successful photographic practice needs to know how to write to a reasonable standard. That may be hard to accept or agree with, but let me explain.

For many decades photographers have believed that they can dismiss the idea of the need to write with the assertion that they speak through their pictures. I get that, many photographers turn to the medium as a creative outlet that allows them to communicate with more fluency than they can with words, written or spoken. The non-traditional academic can often feel marginalized within the school system and a diagnosis of dyslexia is common amongst creatives and that includes photographers. Photography presented the opportunity to build a career outside of those confines, those academic requirements. But that has changed.

I am not just talking here about the academic based bodies of work that fill the portfolios and websites of those working within the contemporary art practice arena. I am talking about any photographer looking to earn a living from their photography or have their photography financially supported.

I have supported many photographers looking to enter education as a teacher or lecturer and I have been shocked at the level of writing ability I have been shown. Poor grammar and weak syntax are common in my experience. An inability to write to a brief is a repeated issue. These are major problems when hoping to enter education even if you have extensive photographic experience, but they are also concerns for a photographer working in any area of specialisation. Today photographers need to be able to write.

On a recent episode of the A Photographic Life podcast myself, Bill Shapiro and Fiona Hayes were trying to think of a well written book by a photographer. An autobiography or a photo book in which the photographer contributed text. On the show we could only think of Man Ray and Joel Meyerowitz. With further thought I would add Robert Adams, Stephen Shore, Matt Black and Sally Mann’s first autobiography (not her second). Maybe you could add to this list. In short there are not many.

I don’t want to write my autobiography I hear you cry, well that’s not the point. You may need to write a proposal, a pitch, a grant application, the introduction to your book, information about you, an application, text for your website, a talk, a lecture in fact a multitude of outcomes related to you being a photographer! The role of the photographer today is not just about making photographs.

When working with young photographers I always stress the importance of reading in improving their writing. The same logic applies to the more mature photographer. It is only by reading the work of others that we can learn the subtleties of the written word. Just as I recommend that photographers look at the work of fellow photographers to understand their craft.

For those who struggle with reading I suggest listening to audio books and podcasts to develop basic narrative language. This seems to work but it is just the beginning of developing writing skills. The problem is that once we leave school our formal learning ends and from that point on its our resposibility to continue that learning journey. If you haven’t enjoyed a subject at school you are not going to do this and yet I believe that you need to.

The truth is that unless you have someone who will write for you or check what you have written you are taking a risk everytime you submit or share your writing. You would not take this risk with your photography, so why would you take it with the words that support it? That makes no sense. If you lack confidence in your writing it may not be your fault, it may be for neuro-divergent reasons or just the result of poor education. It is not something to be ashamed of and it is an issue that can be fixed. Evening classes may be useful, paying a proof reader may be an option, or returning to education through an MA programme (this doesn’t have to be photography based) to understand academic writing if that is what you want and need. Alternatively, you could do it yourself. Read more, practice writing and enjoy both. It is possible! Believe me!

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8 magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020) and Inside Vogue House: One building, seven magazines, sixty years of stories, (Orphans Publishing 2024). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018.

© Grant Scott 2026