Visualising the truth is a multi-media pursuit
Image creation technologies are ever-expanding, and we are afforded more tools than ever to capture our complex realities. Three panellists explain how the approach affects the outcome in the context of visual storytelling.
by Maddie Dinnage
From aerial drones to hand-drawn data visualisation, capturing reality goes beyond the capabilities of a single lens. The first panel of the Lines of Engagement symposium explored the technologies of image creation: how do the tools available to photojournalists create nuance in their impact?
Photographer Giles Price discussed his use of different photographic technologies in his work. Methods such as photogrammetry - the layering of multiple images to form a 3D rendering - become a way to create a more accurate depiction of reality. “Google Earth only creates 3D images of certain parts of the world, leaving holes in the narrative,” he explains, “these became interesting to me, datalogically.”
Jo Webster, Global Managing Director of Visuals at Reuters, highlighted the enduring need for real people, capturing the images that matter, amongst a growing movement in generative AI. “Humans and the skills they have are critical, and our biggest competitive indicator,” she says, “we will never create or publish an image using generative AI.”
However, Reuters is experimenting with AI within its workflows and processes, Webster explained, “We want to be more efficient, creating space for storytelling and news capturing.” She also expressed hopes for all Reuters photographers to be equipped with drones and trained on how to use them.
We cannot underestimate the power of hand-drawn images, according to writer and illustrator Mona Chalabi. She presented a method of image making that arose from a frustration toward existing methods of data visualisation, which felt detached from humanity.
She pointed to her recent project, an illustration of a neighbourhood in Gaza based on real images from 2023, before the genocide began. The caption cites data from an April 2025 report from the UN, which states that 92% of the homes depicted have been damaged or destroyed by the Israeli military.
Using images taken by photojournalists and combining them with existing data, Chalabi presents reality in a way that is both humanising and accessible. “I'm reminding people that, even when it comes to data, there is a person with their own subjectivity behind it.”
