A good reportage shot demands the ability to react quickly to what’s happening. Sometimes a photographer has only a second to capture a notable episode. But preparing for it takes far longer. Photographer Lev Mazaraki explains the role that knowledge of context and professional experience play in this work.

Understanding What’s Happening
Preparation for a reportage shoot begins with getting to know an event, Mazaraki explains. A photographer needs to understand its backstory and imagine how the situation might develop.

“At a public action, it’s essential to get to the bottom of what’s causing it. At an official meeting, they need to find out which issues will be discussed. When covering a natural disaster, they have to keep track of the situation in the affected areas and the work of emergency services,” says Lev Mazaraki. In his view, this kind of awareness helps a photographer choose subjects that genuinely characterize an event.

“Not every spectacular episode turns out to be important for understanding what’s happening. Sometimes a small detail says more about an event than a wide shot with hundreds of people. But to notice it, they need to have a good picture of what’s going on around them,” he continues. As an illustration, the expert cites the work of photographer Ümit Bektaş during the devastating earthquake in Turkey in February 2023. In the stricken Hatay, he drove through destroyed neighborhoods, talked to rescuers, and found out where the search for survivors was continuing. That is how Bektaş learned about Abdulalim Muaini, who spent more than two days trapped under the rubble. The photographer captured the man awaiting rescue and documented the rescue operation.

Lev Mazaraki notes that working in such circumstances requires the ability to seek out information independently and orient quickly in a situation. A photojournalist must understand what’s happening well enough to know what to photograph and when.

Preparation and Experience Help Act Faster
This understanding largely determines how they prepare for a shoot. Knowing specifics of an upcoming event, a photographer can choose a suitable position in advance, assess lighting, and prepare equipment. “Of course, if an event program is known, they can plan their movements between main points. But even a detailed script doesn’t let them anticipate everything. Participants may suddenly change their route.

And then the most exciting action will happen somewhere entirely different from where it was expected. That’s stress for a photographer. But it’s precisely advance preparation that frees up time for observation. During a shoot, it’s easier for a photographer to focus on people when they aren’t constantly having to solve technical problems,” says Mazaraki.

Experience takes on just as much importance. “A beginner needs time to assess what’s happening and adjust settings. For a professional, many actions are already automatic. It’s the habit of working in all kinds of conditions,” explains Lev Mazaraki.

He recalls how, during the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, Nigerian athlete Tobi Amusan set a world record in the 100-meter hurdles, covering the distance in 12.12 seconds, and then went on to win the final. Getty Images photographer Steph Chambers captured Amusan’s emotional reaction after the victory. The photo preserved the instant when the athlete was living through one of the most significant achievements of her career.

For a sports photographer, episodes like this are of particular interest. Knowing the results of previous competitions and the athlete’s biography helps gauge the significance of the win. And understanding how athletes typically behave after crossing a finish line tells when to keep photographing, even if a competition itself is already over. “It’s useful to picture in advance what might happen after a main event. Sometimes the most expressive reaction comes a few seconds after everyone has decided there’s nothing left to shoot,” notes Mazaraki.

He also ties to accumulated experience what’s commonly called professional intuition. After many years of work, certain situations become recognizable. From participants’ gestures and glances, they can sometimes predict what will happen the next second. At a sports venue, this helps them anticipate how an episode will unfold. During a public speech, it helps them catch the moment when a speaker is gearing up for an emotional reaction. At a mass event, they can notice a shift in the mood of a crowd. The broader a photographer’s experience, the faster they can assess a situation and make decisions.

After shoot
Work on a reportage continues even after photographs are taken. There are frames to select, circumstances to verify, and captions to prepare. Lev Mazaraki considers this stage especially important for covering public events. A single emotional frame can draw attention, but sometimes without additional photographs it’s impossible to understand what preceded it and how it all ended. That’s why, when selecting shots, a photographer has to return to the context again. They check details, compare pictures, and assess how accurately they convey what happened.

“Over the years, photographers develop their own approach to this kind of work. They notice significant episodes faster and act more confidently in difficult situations. All of this raises the odds of getting valuable frames,” says Mazaraki.