Industrial Documentary Photography
Behind the Scenes at South Devon Railway: Using Documentary Photography to celebrate the People Who Keep the Past Running
The latest client to employ our documentary photography services is South Devon Railway who wanted to capture behind the scenes images that can be turned into interpretation boards for summer visitors.
So, a few weeks ago, the Clarity team (along with Ella, a photography student at Plymouth University) spent the day at South Devon Railway, a picturesque heritage line running between Buckfastleigh and Totnes. It’s a place where visitors come to admire beautifully restored steam engines, take in the scenery, and enjoy a slice of history in motion.
But our cameras weren’t pointed at the locomotives.
Instead, we turned our lenses to what most visitors never see: the engineering workshops tucked away behind the platforms, where a team of highly skilled engineers, fabricators, and volunteers keep the railway and much more alive.
More Than Trains: A Hub of Traditional Skills
Hidden behind the scenes is where the real magic happens. These workshops are home to over 20 full-time staff, supported by a dedicated group of volunteers. They work not just for South Devon Railway but for clients across the UK including the Royal Navy, who send in bent anchors for precision restoration.
Walking into the workshop is like stepping into another era but not in a sentimental way. This is a place where traditional engineering skills are actively used, every day, on modern and traditional problems. Some of the parts they manufacture take years to complete, often entirely by hand. The level of craftsmanship and patience required is staggering.
A Documentary Photography Story Told Through Hands and Grit
Our brief was clear: show the work and the people who make it happen. Not just tasks or machinery but the spirit, teamwork, and skill behind the scenes. The work here isn’t about spectacle; it’s about quiet expertise, passed down and perfected over time. People from different generations work alongside each other, often the older generation is teaching the younger but not always.
We approached the project with our usual documentary style, which means light-touch, observant, and people-first. We listened more than we directed. We ask questions to understand more. We waited, watched, and captured moments as they happened naturally: hands steadying a steel plate under a flame, two colleagues working side by side in silent rhythm, shared frustration when two parts don’t go together as planned, and the laughter of colleagues working towards a shared goal.
Heritage in Practice
What struck us most wasn’t just the level of skill, but the sense of purpose and pride that runs through the team. South Devon Railway isn’t just preserving heritage for visitors, it’s actively practicing it, keeping skills alive that are in danger of fading away.
“We need more young people” we heard on several occasions and we could see that the younger generation is coming through and they love it. Every day is different, the work is varied, it’s hugely rewarding and the atmosphere is collegiate.
Any thoughts of these skills not being needed anymore is completely wrong. The order book is full, and deadlines loom. But there’s no shortcut here, this kind of work can’t be rushed, and it’s the patience, dedication, and the human touch that make it special.
Why we enjoy documentary photography
Clients and projects like this are exactly why we do what we do. Using documentary photography and video to authetntically capture people who are quietly shaping the world—often unnoticed—is at the heart of Clarity’s approach. These aren’t just photos and videos; they’re records of skill, culture, and community, which can be used to engage with multiple audiences for multiple objectives including recruitment, funding, marketing for new business and more.
We’re grateful that South Devon Railway chose us for this project and letting us tell a story that too often goes unseen.
About Clarity
Clarity is a photography agency (we also produce videos) – we focus primarily on documentary photography style projects and work with retailers, banks, the construction sector, manufacturing businesses, heavy industry, agriculture and the NGO/charity sector to engage audiences about change, sustainability, ways of working and project progression. We work with our clients to create compelling visual stories that support employee communication, investor relations, campaigns, and external stakeholder engagement.
To find out more, why not get in touch here.
