Leila Saidane’s Work Is an Example of the Future of Documentary Photography

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State troopers in protective gear and helmets are present during an outdoor event with a crowd in the background. Some officers are detaining individuals on the grassy area. Trees and other people are also visible.

Earlier this year, students enrolled The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism and Media (in the Moody College of Communication) were encouraged to apply for a six-month mentorship with a Canon Explorer of Light. Leila Saidane’s won that competition and recently completed her mentorship with photographer Natalie Keyssar.

Multiple excellent portfolios were submitted by students and the final selection was made via a panel of judges including Keyssar, former National Geographic photo editor Elizabeth Krist, and I. Saidane’s work showed incredible promise, as can be seen in the photos below which are a mix of the images that won her the mentorship as well as new ones captured in the last year.

Saidane is a Tunisian-American who is studying Radio-TV-Film at The University of Texas at Austin and plans to Graduate in May 2025. After that, her plan is to move to Tunisia to both reconnect with her family as well as develop her Arabic proficiency. Keyssar is a documentary photographer based in Brooklyn, New York and focuses her lens on the personal effects of political turmoil and conflict, youth culture, and migration.

A person stands in a desert area wearing a dark shirt. A partially visible sign reads "Motel Plaza." A minivan is parked to the right with a partly obscured landscape and sky in the background. The image has light leaks and double exposure effects.

A surreal image showing the silhouette of a person against a large tree trunk, layered with reflections of trees and glass. The combination creates an abstract and dreamlike scene.

“From the first time I saw Leila’s work when we were judging for the Canon mentorship, I knew she had the unique blend of passion, curiosity, and the ability to translate a feeling into an image that to me is what makes a truly great photojournalist,” Keyssar says.

“Documentary Photography is different from other forms of image making because it comes with a lot of responsibilities. You’re working with other people’s real life. It’s not enough to be good at photography technique, (which she is) you also have to care deeply about what you’re photographing, and want to understand enough to dig deep to learn about the story well enough to speak on it with some authority.”

A woman holds a toddler in a white shirt close to her face, gently cradling him as he drinks from a baby bottle. Another person is partially visible, standing nearby. The setting appears to be indoors.

A group of people sitting on grass, wearing special glasses and looking up at the sky, likely observing a solar eclipse. The scene conveys a sense of curiosity and wonder.

A dimly lit room with a window covered by sheer blue curtains and lace. Soft light filters through, casting shadows on a messy bed with pillows in the foreground. A bookshelf is partially visible to the right.

A small child in a colorful dress runs across a grassy yard at dusk, with a soccer ball nearby. Bare trees and a brick building surround the yard, while the sky is a mix of blues and pinks.

For her mentorship, Saidane was encouraged to lean into the type of work that caught our eye during the judging process: subjects she identified with. She did so with a Canon R6 and 35mm and 55mm lenses.

A vintage black and white photo shows four people standing on rocky terrain under a cloudy sky. Two are facing forward on the right, while two are on the left, one pointing to the distance. The image has a faded texture.

“Using wide lenses made it more of a challenge to discriminate what entered my frame, making me more thoughtful of what scene I was capturing and how every element included provided information. I experimented in adding motion blur to portraits taken with flash, creating artificial double exposures with digitals inspired by real accidental film ones I’ve taken, using medium format, toy-like cameras that blur the edges via light leak,” Saidane says.

A woman stands at a kitchen counter in a dimly lit room, illuminated by a lamp. Blurry figures, including a person carrying a child, are seen in the foreground. Plates with food and drinks are on the table.

This was her longest intentional photography project and Saidane says that going through months of coverage has led her to some pleasant surprises. She found that photographing a subject earlier in time in a different but relevant context to a photo captured later added depth to the overarching story she was attempting to tell about them — something that doesn’t happen without a plan for a long-form visual story.

A double exposure image showing a group of people sitting and reading outdoors, superimposed over a residential house with a fenced yard. The scene captures a blend of leisure and suburban architecture under a partly cloudy sky.

A large brick church with a tall steeple and red doors stands behind a street. The building features arched windows and ornate architectural details. Surrounding trees and power lines are visible under a clear blue sky.

“This mentorship has helped me to learn the power in building sustained relationships with your subjects, reshaping my internal beliefs; like the unbending journalistic value that suggests any relationship beyond that of strictly photographer and subject is unethical. For my work, I’ve found such relationships only inform the images greater,” Saidane says.

“Natalie encouraged me to submit photos that I felt reflected me and the direction I want to move in. Photography is a limitless endeavor, but I am now more solidified in what I want to photograph; using images to amplify under-represented communities’ voices, including the ones I belong to,” she continues.

“The emotion captured in moments by those I’ve built relations with — my family, my housemates, fellow Arab students who celebrate our culture and struggles — display different sides of the same subjects over many months. The emotion captured in moments by those I’ve built relations with — my family, my housemates, fellow Arab students who celebrate our culture and struggles — display different sides of the same subjects over many months.”

A crowd of people, many wearing red hats and holding a "Trump" banner, gather near a state trooper vehicle. A person sitting on the ground is visible in the background.

“Working with Leila this year has been a real inspiration and honor for me and I’m so excited I got to witness her progress. We’ve covered a lot of ground, from choosing subject matter and approaching communities going through complicated moments ethically and compassionately (something she does instinctively), to developing personal style and visual language in the context of documentary photography, to traditional and non-traditional forms of storytelling,” Keyssar says.

Silhouetted crowd in front of a large "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" banner at sunset. The sky is golden, creating a dramatic backdrop against the dark figures.

A person in jeans and boots walks on sandy ground, casting a long shadow. The shadow is distinct and elongated in the sunlight. The image captures motion and light contrast on the textured sand.

Keyssar adds that the images Saidane created through her mentorship show a talent for making breaking news images combined with the emotive and personal.

“Leila is incredibly thoughtful and hardworking and keen to hone technical skills and journalistic knowledge to support her innate talent. She’s not afraid to experiment which I think is a highly underrated trait in young photojournalists- as exploring new forms of photographic language and not being afraid to make new kinds of pictures not traditionally associated with news photography is a harder path than making safe pictures and, in my opinion, the only route to unique and exciting personal growth in style,” Keyssar continues.

Two men walk outside a building at night, wearing casual clothes and scarves. The scene is a double exposure, blending them with a background of a lit doorway and people entering. One man holds a phone and the other holds a cigarette.

“We’ve accidentally gone quite a bit over the expected mentorship period because she was so involved in her work, and I’ve been so happy to support it and help her sharpen her voice and clarity of vision. I’ve enjoyed our zooms where we go over photo techniques, toning and color, storytelling, business and best practices, and I’ve also been really glad she’s come to trust me with urgent last-minute questions when she’s covering breaking news or gut checks about the personal and ethical side of this work via call or text. We’re both extremely grateful to Canon for creating and supporting her important work.”

A woman in a green sweater appears in a double exposure image, standing in front of two framed drawings. Her hand is raised, touching one of the frames. The background is blurred with green and brown tones, creating an ethereal effect.

“While I’m tired of the term, imposter syndrome is a symptom of being a young woman photographer,” Saidane says. “A balance of maintaining discreteness, so as not to craft or disrupt a candid moment, and consent of the subject to be captured. Natalie reframed this anxiety as a strength. My self-awareness gives me an empathetic approach to subjects so crucial to documentary work, creating collaborative and representational images.”

Keyssar says that she plans to continue to mentor Leila informally and is excited to see what the future brings for her after she graduates.

“I know she’s going to be doing great things and am so psyched that Canon and I could play a role in her early work.”

Image credits: Photographs and captions by Leila Saidane

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