Documentary Photography

"Documentary photography usually refers to a type of professional photojournalism but it may also be an amateur or student pursuit. The photographer attempts to produce truthful, objective and usually candid photography of a particular subject, and most often pictures of people. The pictures usually depict a certain perspective of the photographer (as in an individual style) but some may choose to be more controversial than others." Doc Shooters

DP is often used to chronicle significant and historical events but is also used to raise awareness to either political, social or world issues via such outlets as newspapers, magazines, exhibitions, blogs and websites and so to tell a story through images but it is not unusual for those images to be accompanied by some informative text. For historians , documentary photography is a critical form of evidence to past events and a reproduction of reality and was often used to illustrate the goals of the reform movement.

Lewis Hine was an American sociologist and photographer who in the early 1900's used his camera to document the shocking truth behind child labour and in turn his images played a huge part in bringing about change to the child labour laws in the United States. So powerful were some of his images that he was often accused of muck raking especially by those who's business practices were in the firing line.

                                  

                                  


Pieter Hugo is a photographer from South Africa who, although primarily  a portrait photographer, has used his skill to document and raise awareness to other issues within his homeland of which my personal favourite The Hyena & Other Men, led Peiter to try and discover the truth behind a mystical bunch of travellers who many believed to be bank robbers, body guards, drug dealers or debt collectors as they'd drift into town with an apparent menace with their entourage of trained hyenas, baboons and snakes with which even their children interacted without fear. Once Pieter had gained their trust he learnt that they were nothing more than a troupe of travelling minstrels who came into town to make money from entertainment and the selling of natural medicines, so if you're captivated by these images then there's plenty more and the full story back at his website .  

                                
                                          
                                   


                                   
                                    
My third example brings things a little closer to home with a photographer who is a contact of mine on flickr and who, to quote his own profile "J A Mortram is a full time Carer in his family home, documentary photographer, environmental portraitist based in East Anglia, creator of 'Small Town Inertia' blog and member of the Aletheia Photo Collective. Jim's work is centred on creating an expansive long-form photographic essay, Small Town Inertia, which explores the intimate and untold stories of marginalised individuals in the small rural community in which he lives".   I love his sympathetic eye that refuses any attempt to polish over the cracks and delivers nothing other than a cold hard truth about a completely different world out there and thoroughly recommend you check out both his website and flickr page plus not forgetting his vimeo channel.

Anglia Square 

                                 
                                  
Simon:Living With Epilepsy

                                       


In conclusion, as a group , we came up with the following points to define documentary photography : A depiction of the real world, communicate something of importance, subjective, context and purpose, documents a moment in time, document a need for a change, less boundaries than photojournalism, longer term projects, research and planning, more personality than photojournalism, less sensational, a series, history, may contain a message towards a particular audience, location, empathy , to raise awareness and finally to act as a visual language.   


For my first attempt at documentary photography I've played it pretty safe by documenting a portrait of someone who opted to step off the treadmill of the 9 to 5 and take her chances down the path of home based self employment. I'm a great admirer of the documentary style of photography right across the range from the subtle to the heart breaking and aim to produce more works in this genre as I find subjects that appeal to me but until then I give you, Polishing Diamonds (live what you love) .