What is documentary photography?

If you break it down into the basic meaning of the words, documentary is defined as a factual record. In fact, it’s very difficult to give it an exact meaning as photography in itself is a process of documentation. However, it has been previously described as the following: a genre, a traditions, a style, a movement and also as a practice.

Here are some pictures which I found to illustrate it:

In photography, the genre of documentary is crucial to capture real moments. The normal elements of composition that we should strive to include in a picture are not so much needed. It’s more about the meaning behind the image, rather than how it’s set-up.

Documentary photography demonstrates a story and can be taken over  a various periods of time. Also, documentary images transmit a life long effect. Meanwhile, photojournalism is meant for short-lived moments and is normally published in magazines and news papers. Photojournalism only depicts what the certain viewers, or in this case, what the writers, of a news paper believe to be the truth. It doesn’t explore the deepened subjects behind it. Here are some examples of the both:

Photojournalism example:

Documentary example:

Documentary photography and Photojournalism are linked quite closely. The main difference is that documentary photography aims to tell a story over time and some pictures can be set-up. Whilst, photojournalism captures events from one time period and may take the photographs in such a way that it portrays something else, that perhaps is untruthful.

Documentary photography is designed to capture real life moments. Some images have the power to even change peoples points of view. A single picture can have create a stronger reaction than anything else. Many photographers use this medium because it can open people’s eyes. For example, recently there was a controversial news story, in which a three year old, Syrian boy washed up at shore. A Turkish photographer was at the beach when it happened and she decided to snap a picture. For some this was a shocking move. Many people questioned whether it was right for the picture to be taken, or whether she should of helped out the baby toddler first.

Here’s a link to one of the Syrian boys’ news stories: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/world/europe/syria-boy-drowning.html?smid=tw-share

For me, in this case, I probably would have taken the picture also. I think that she was trying to show the rest of the world the saddening moment and wanted to share how critically severe it was in an attempt to make a difference. And in result, when the pictures actually were released they affected many individuals.

Documentary photography first began in the early 19th century. A man named Jeremy Bentham was the first person to use it. Later on, a famous film maker called John Gierson used this word to describe a film and this is what prompted people to start using this term in visual arts. Meanwhile in France, during the mid 19th century, Eugene Atget described his work as ‘documents’. His work was mainly of buildings and empty streets. Also, in Denmark, a Danish reporter called Jacob A Riis, referred to his work in the same way. On the other hand, Riss’s work was focused on poverty in the slums during the 1880’s. And finally, the much later work of the American man Lewis Hine, that reflects a modern version of social work campaigns and child labour. Here are some examples of these three:

Jacob Riis example (Danish,1849-1914):

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a link to a website showcasing some of Riis photography: http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/4928

Eugene Atget example (French, 1857- 1927):

Informative link, with details on Atget’s life: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Eugene-Atget

Lewis Hine example (American, 1874-1940):

Here’s a link to an article on Lewis Hine’s work: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17673213

It first started to become a phenomenon when  it began to appear in the 1920s when print technology was beginning to evolve. Most of these prints were placed in worldwide magazines. The main motive behind the magazines was to document a story. They included many different pictures which all portrayed different emotions and meanings. In result, it inspired the photojournalism movement to begin.

Documentary has a wide range of key words linked to it. It has many different approaches, styles and practices. There are also many different categories and types that apply to it. A few of these include: photojournalism, reportage, street photography and contemporary fine-art. Documentary photography can be used as a way of learning. For example, if you photograph political and moral values, you may start to comprehend the situation in a better manner. This genre can lead us to question many things. It may question you on your personal morality, and what you’d do if we were in that situation. It may also make you view places and people differently. For example, there could be rare sights shown in the photograph that show things you would normally not see.

This type of photography, in itself, is very controversial, especially with the word ‘documentary’. Some people argue that documentary photography is always set up, no matter how little you tamper with the situations. This is because a picture, in itself, is a documentation. The moment in which the camera snaps, a document is supposedly taken.

Many people use this genre to capture stories, which can be fictional or non-fictional. While other use it to capture performances. Just like the typical photographic styles, it can vary.

A very touching and famous example of this medium is as follows:

This is Glenn McDuffie, a former sailor which was famously featured as a part of this documentary photograph. At that moment, the photographer was able to capture the couples emotional kiss as they celebrated that Japan had surrendered. I believe that Eisenstaedt caught a very precious moment of love, which was later identified as being this man in the picture.

Nowadays, contemporary documentary photography still portrays a lot of meaning. However, one distinct characteristic is that, now the audience has more freedom to interpret individually. Whereas in the olden days, documentary pictures used to have a specific and driven meaning behind them. Contemporary photography is often set up in a series, it normally demonstrates a chronicle or account. The images can be a collection of various different genres, such as portraiture.