Early documentary photography focused primarily on urban settings and industry, photographers often used photography as a tool in order to change society’s norm. For example Walker Evans photographed famers during the time of depression in America in order to demonstrate how the depression had effected the farmer’s lives, furthermore, Lewis Hine’s images aided in passing the child labour law in America. During the 1930s the idea of a message or story being translated through a single or set of images began. The Magnum Photography Agency formed in 1947, Henri Cartier-Bresson was one of the main photographers in the group at the time. A great deal of war photography came from Magnum photographers.
The definition of documentary is ‘an actual event e.g. life story, that purports to be factually accurate and contains no fictional elements.’ Although this sums up the meaning of documentary the part which translates to the artistic side is concerned with the morality and ethos of the subject. Documentary photography has proven to be a powerful tool used and sometimes manipulated in order to change real life situations for example the most current image which has caused uproar concerning the situation is of the migrant crisis.
As mentioned in my first post, documentary photography has lots of various sub-genres such as photojournalism, editorial, street photography, portraiture and landscape. However, the main aspects I am focusing on researching at this stage are social documentary photography, photojournalism and street photography.
What is photojournalism?
Photojournalism is a specific form of journalism which is news material for publication. The genre uses photographs in order to relay a news story. Still image are normally the main style of image employed. Photojournalism is differentiated from documentary photography and other sub-genres as it conforms to a fixed ethos. The genre requires the images to be accurate, truthful and unbiased whilst remaining to tell the story. The images should be a representation of the event’s content, nature and manner.
What is street photography?
Street photography requires no specific subject matter and certainly does not need the presence of a street or an urban environment in the image. Street photography is about reacting to the surroundings or atmosphere the photographer finds oneself in. It aims to show ‘a pure vision of something, like holding up a mirror to society.’ Street photography tends to focus on a single human moment, providing a literal and personal image the audience may or may not relate to. Street photography and documentary photography are very similar however have distinct differences which must be made clear. Documentary photography has an objective to record an event or capture a piece of history, whereas, street photography is more subtle with un-manipulated scenes and normally unaware subjects.
International Festival of Photojournalism, Visa Pour L’Image, Article, New York Times
The highly respected World Press Photo Contest triggered outrage in March when it awarded then withdrew the top honour to Giovanni Troilo an Italian photographer who falsified the locality of a photograph. The photojournalism festival, Visa Pour L’Image, announced it would not exhibit the World Press Photo winners’ photography in protest to the controversy. The dispute continued on at a panel discussion with the director of Visa Pour L’Image Jean-Francois Leroy who supported his choice whereas, Lars Boering, the managing director of the World Press Photo Foundation attempted to re-establish the contest by ensuring a review of the rules and a written code of ethics. ‘Who sets the boundaries of what defines photojournalism?’ ‘When technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?’ The issue became even more prominent when a photograph was released revealing the true extent of the migrant crisis, the image of a dead Syrian child clearly depicts the influential control photojournalism has to expose the truth and demand the attention of the public. Mr. Boering announced that he would be reaching out to other leading award groups to discuss standards and ethics. ‘Witnessing the world’. article
Questions to consider after reading the article:
Who sets the boundaries of what defines photojournalism?
What technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?
With viewers more sophisticated and sceptical than ever before, how can photojournalists preserve their integrity and maintain trust?
The National Press Photographers Association is a society that promotes the highest standards in visual journalism. Photographic images can inspire, expose truths, connect people and give hope to many. However, photographs have the potential to cause great harm if manipulated. A code was formed in order to attain the highest quality in forms of visual journalism as well as strengthening the public’s perception of the profession.
Visual journalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work:
Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.
Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and justifiable need to see.
While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.
Ideally, visual journalists should:
Strive to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public. Defend the rights of access for all journalists.
Think proactively, as a student of psychology, sociology, politics and art to develop a unique vision and presentation. Work with a voracious appetite for current events and contemporary visual media.
Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommend alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities, seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view.
Avoid political, civic and business involvements or other employment that compromise or give the appearance of compromising one’s own journalistic independence.
Strive to be unobtrusive and humble in dealing with subjects.
Respect the integrity of the photographic moment.
Strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code. When confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the highest standards of the profession. Visual journalists should continuously study their craft and the ethics that guide it.
Winogrand was a street photographer born in 1928. He often photographed the way of American life, including its social issues. Throughout Winogrand’s life he published four books and was one of three photographers featured in the New Documents exhibition at Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1967 and also had solo exhibitions there in 1969, 1977 and 1988.
A lot of Winogrand’s images come across as very upbeat and as if everyone is happy all of the time. This is a positive representation of the people of New York, where he lived and worked. I think that these images are great as it allows the spectator to see the positive impact that family and community have on people and that we don’t always have to focus on the negatives and we don’t always have to have sad and horrible images in the art of documentary photography. Most images are like action shots produced on a film camera, so each is unique and individual to its own. There are no similar images in his work, for me anyway. I think that Winogrand has approached most the these people and asked if he could make a photograph of them and he has photographed their reaction, not giving them any direction and just allowing them to do as they please. I think that back then it would have been a lot more rare for a person to ask to make a photograph of a stranger as cameras were more expensive and not as many people had access to them, it was mainly just photographers. Nowadays we tend to have cameras even on our phones that we carry around everywhere with us.
I really like Winogrand’s work and I want to attempt to make similar images at a high standard, almost as if creating these images on a film camera. I want to create the most honest images that I possibly can while studying documentary photography as I believe that is what it is all about.
One image that I particularly like is this one. It seems as though there is a mad rush to get to work, rush hour. With all of these people in their suits trying to get to work as a photographer stands right in their way with a potentially large film camera, then at random taking a snap shot with the rush going on. I enjoy looking at all of the different facial expressions of the people in frame, some are happy, some look pissed off and others just look as though they’ve been doing it for years and there is no use fighting the current anymore. I think what draws your attention is the man right in the center of the image wearing glasses. He looks as though he’s been going through the process of trying to get to work on time for many years and is just going with it, contrary he could be partly trying to smile as the camera is right in his face. I then notice the two men right behind the first man to the right of the image. They look angry as though they are shouting at Winogrand himself to move out of the way of the huge rush, especially as the second man seems to be waving him to move out of the way. Next my attention leans over more to the right to see signs of protest. This makes me think that the business people are possibly trying to get out of the way of the countries ‘FIRST TEAM’. My eyes are then drawn right down to the two women on the left hand side of the image. They look a lot happier than the men and seem to be portrayed in a more positive and happy light compared to the angry men who want the photographer to get out of the way. I really like this image as there is just so much to look at and as the spectator you can allow your eyes to wonder across different parts of the image.
Documentary photography is produced usually to express a lot of significant meaning behind the photographs that relates to historical events or events that happen in everyday life. The popular form is clearly linked historically to the development of print technology and the proliferation of large scale mass press in the 1920’s and £0’s of popular illustrated photograph magazines and publications such as ‘ Life magazine’ in the USA and ‘Picture Post’ in Britain. This type of photography can be greatly slated due to the simple reason of the public thinking the image is disrespectful or outrageous. However, these type of photographers allow the public notice that significant things need to change in the world, without visual proof, people won’t react quick enough or at all to a situation that requires attention. For example the recent migrant crisis of the toddler that drowned trying to reach the island of Kos has been published across the world news. Thousands have died trying to migrate, but only now, since a photographer captured a toddler face down in the sand have people realized. There is also other types of documentary photographers that like to document photographs or personal use such as photographing their mother through the stages of illness perhaps or a sibling growing up.
Turkish gendarmerie stand near by the washed up body of a refugee child who drowned during a failed attempt to sail to the Greek island of Kos, at the shore in the coastal town of Bodrum, Mugla city, Turkey, 02 September 2015. At least 11 Syrian migrants died in boat sank after leaving Turkey for the Greek island of Kos.
It could be seen that every photograph is actually documentary photography as each photo documents/records something. People document performances some use this photography to create elusive fictional stories. Social reformers such as Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine used the medium of photography to bring evidence of their claims to these viewers. Their style of photography may best be called “social reform,” for each photographer used the medium to effect social change. Jacob Riis did a project of ‘How the other half life’ and photographed some people living on the streets/in slums in Manhatten.
