Documentary Photography

Documentary photography is a style of photography where the goal is to provide a straightforward and accurate representation of objects, places, people, and events.[1] While it is often used in reporting, documentary photography is an umbrella term that encapsulates a wide range of journalistic, artistic, political, and commercial genres. But whatever the approach, the term usually refers to art that captures a real moment, conveying a message about the world. Documentary photography typically focuses on an ongoing story or issue seen through a series of photographs, drawing attention to difficult or dangerous world issues which require some form of political or remedial action.[2] Documentary photography differs from other forms of photography as it is not about creating a “perfect” picture. Instead, it is about capturing the world as it is. That includes all the raw, messy, and sometimes painful parts of life. A documentary photographer should act as an eyewitness to the world around them, in whatever way that world presents itself.[3] For a documentary photographer, war zones, extreme weather conditions, and remote jungles are just another day at the office. Documentary photographers are frequently the link between these far-flung events and the rest of the world, providing a valuable service that also serves as a record of a significant event.

A Brief History

Until the mid-twentieth century, documentary photography was a vital way of bearing witness to world events. During this period, the tradition of documentary photography was reinvented. Artists began to see the camera as a tool for social change, using it to shed light on injustice, inequality, and the forgotten or neglected aspects of society.[4] The camera increasingly became a tool for social change, with artists exploring its powerful potential for leading to reform in a style often referred to as social documentary photography. However, social documentary photography is often a subjective art, and not all photographers in this category intend their images to aid the bettering of society. With the outbreak of the First World War, artists increasingly focused on photography’s ability to record the horrors happening around the world. [5]

With the rise of television and digital technology, there was less demand for published photography, and it began to go into decline but has since found a new audience in art galleries and museums. Putting these works in a gallery setting places the work at the center of a debate surrounding the power of photography and the photographer’s motivations. Their work raises questions about the documentary role of the photograph today and offers alternative ways of seeing, recording, and understanding the events and situations that shape the world in which we live.[6]

Street Photography

Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, “is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places.”[7] Street photography is a genre of photography that candidly captures life in public areas. The very publicness of the setting enables the photographer to take unposed pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge.[8] In street photography, the goal is to capture an unplanned moment in time. The micro-stories are subjective and open to creative interpretation. They can generate relationships that do not conform to reality. Street photographers do not generally get permission from their subjects to take the photo. Street photographers have creative license as the medium is dictated by art. Street photographers use shadows, juxtaposition, framing, exaggerated angles, and anything to make a surreal composition.[9] And contrary to its name, street photography does not have to be done on the streets. You can do street photography anywhere.[10]

Social Documentary Photography

Social Documentary Photography, another sub-genre of documentary photography, is when the images and documentaries created deal with social themes.[11] While it is often advocacy-oriented, this is not an absolute requirement. A county fair, celebrities, fashion, and sports can all fall under the label of social documentary. Since that is indeed a fairly broad definition, perhaps it is more helpful to denote what social documentary photography is not. It is not breaking news events, conflict zones, wildlife, landscapes, or street photography. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, as is the case when any of these subjects relate to human experience.[12]

Environmental Photography

Environmental photography is the practice of taking pictures of the environment, and an environmental photograph is one that depicts an environment, its events, and scenes in and around it.[13] Environmental photography is useful for a variety of goals, including research, environmental monitoring, awareness-raising, public relations, as well as artistic ones. The most common purpose of environmental photography, however, is to inform and educate people about how their actions affect the environment. In a visually-based society such as ours, environmental photography harnesses the power of storytelling to further environmental goals. These stories shed light on environmental and cultural issues, solutions, and efforts.[14] If you doubt this, just think of the effect that a picture of a seal with discarded fish nets wrapped around its neck or a turtle swimming through an ocean of plastic has on you. The power of environmental photography is that you can reach a large audience in both an impactful and emotionally evocative manner. It is crucial to environmental and conservation efforts and one of the most pressing problems of our day, climate change. And due to its diversity of purpose, it aids in bringing the concerns that the world faces daily to the attention of audiences around the globe.[15]

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Citations

1. Documentary Photography, Tate Collective.
2. Documentary Photography, National Galleries of Scotland.
3. Documentary Photography – An Introduction, PhotographyCourse.net.
4. Documentary Photography, Tate Collective.
5. Documentary Photography, National Galleries of Scotland.
6. Documentary Photography, Tate Collective.
7. Warner Marien, Mary (2012). 100 ideas that changed photography. London: Laurence King Publishing. p. 169. ISBN 978-1-85669-793-4.
8. Street photography, Encyclopaedia Britannica.
9. A Comparison of Journalistic, Documentary and Street Photography, Diane Wehr Street Photography.
10. Complete Guide to Street Photography for Beginners, Photography Life.
11. What is Social Documentary Photography, Manten Photography.
12. Specialty: What Is Social Documentary Photography?, Wonderful Machine.
13. Environmental Values of Photography and Communication, Indian Institute of Art and Design.
14. What is Conservation Photography and Filmmaking?, The International League of Conservation Photographers.
15. Environmental Values of Photography and Communication, Indian Institute of Art and Design.