Should you add video to your stills photography skillset?

Do you really need to add video to your professional stills photography business? Many photographers have asked themselves if diversifying to include a video offering is necessary to remain relevant, or if it makes more sense to specialise in the one area of stills photography they are passionate about.

There has been a rise in hybrid content creation across the breadths of genres, including wildlife, travel and even fashion, but we asked photojournalists and Canon Ambassadors Magnus Wennman and Ilvy Njiokiktjien to give us their views on how important video shooting skills have become for professional photographers within the documentary photography industry.

"I feel my work is all about finding the best possible way to tell a story. The Canon EOS 5D Mark II changed everything. For the first time I could shoot stills and video with one camera. The transition to video came very naturally to me. Suddenly I could create content that I simply couldn't make with still images alone. And it was fun to learn something new. As photographers, we often don't have people to teach us, so it comes down to experimenting – to trial and error. We learn through our mistakes, but that's no bad thing. It was an inspiring and exciting time."

“It’s increasingly becoming video first, but I enjoy working with video because it offers so many more possibilities. For me, it has always been about finding the best way to tell a story – and that always depends on what story you want to tell. My latest project is the biggest I’ve done so far, featuring both photography and video, and is about how difficult it is to get help to die at the end of life. I followed an 87-year-old woman during the last six months of her life. The result was an innovative publication that gained significant attention in Sweden,” shares Magnus.

So, what is the secret behind his success?

“If I have a lot of time for a project, I usually divide it. One day I might just work with video, and another day only with still images. It’s a challenge to switch back and forth but as long as you remain curious and want to learn, I don't think it's a problem. I see it as a positive thing, that there are so many more options for telling a story nowadays. The important thing is to always think about what format works best to tell the story. Some stories don't really work with video, others don't work with stills. The internet has made the possibilities of telling stories infinite," he says.

For hybrid projects, Magnus relies on a simple kit set up: the Canon EOS R5 and Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens."The EOS R5 is a fantastic camera, it's been a revelation to me. I find that the camera covers all my needs, and the lens is the best I’ve ever worked with. The camera's versatility is amazing. I like to carry as little gear as possible because I find that carrying too much stuff can be really limiting when I'm chasing a story. I usually just take the EOS R5 and RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens and maybe the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM, and that covers everything."

The Canon EOS R System is designed with hybrid shooters in mind, from the impressive array of RF lenses, including hybrid RF lenses build for hybrid shooters in mind, to the advanced autofocus and image stabilisation systems for video as well as stills.

"Sometimes it can feel embarrassing when you don't know what you're doing, but I'm a firm believer in putting the story first and doing whatever it takes to tell that story. Learning something new is always cool anyway. Sometimes it even helps to come to something new without any preconceptions and to just do what comes naturally. It's interesting how much and how quickly we learn as we go along.

Since her first attempt at videography, Ilvy has moved to a more fluid hybrid way of working, relying more and more on video to add depth and emotion to her work, and make her stories more authentic, engaging and accessible. Her current project, Climate Safer Regions, involves a mix of candid interviews, b-roll of the state of environments and imagery to highlight the human side of climate adaptation, brought together to document how communities are adapting to climate change.

“Video is essential to bring the story to life in ways stills sometimes can’t. This mainly has to do with the topic, which is looking into a possible climate future. It is difficult to picture the future, as we do not know what it will look like. Therefore I really wanted to record the voices of people, to have them describe how they see the future. I did not intend for the project to be video-first, but video became a key part of the narrative,” she says. “The project has not been published yet, but I know for sure that adding the voices and interviews of people will help bring the project to life and I hope it makes the issue of climate adaptation more tangible and urgent for a wider audience,” she continues.

Like Magnus, Ilvy shoots with a Canon EOS R5. "This camera has literally changed my day-to-day job as a photographer. Thanks to the EOS R5, I've truly become a better storyteller. It makes everything so easy, intuitive and instant. I can react much more quickly, and because the EOS R5 focuses so crazy fast, I can put my time and energy into really connecting with people, instead of being busy with and distracted by the need to adjust camera settings. It's the most amazing extension of all the great lenses and other gear that I've already been working with. I also shoot video handheld or with a monopod for flexibility."

Ilvy has practiced shooting both stills and video and is now more comfortable switching between modes, and shares some key advice: “Sometimes you miss a still or a video moment, it’s challenging but the versatility is worth it.”