What is Documentary Photography?

Subjective vs. Objective

Looking at the document in Documentary photography.

Photographs as Evidence

Spiritualist photography

Photographers started to use the idea of the Photograph as a document to their advantage.

Lewis Hine Jacob Riis

• In what ways today do we still use the photograph as a document, as proof something exists?

• In what ways do we exploit this idea with different types of imagery?

SO, CAN A PHOTOGRAPH EVER BE OBJECTIVE?

“Objective Fictions”

Bill brandt Walker evans Weegee Robert capa

1920’s to the 1960s was the boom time of Photojournalism in magazines – but it wasn’t all truly ‘objective’.....

“Subjective facts”

“increasing [the] idea of subjective expression of individual convictions”()

From the 1930s onwards Documentary photography took on a much more subjective outlook – the individual viewpoint of the photographer became more important.

Robert Frank – The Americans

Richard Billingham Paul Graham

William Eggleston Nan Goldin

http://fstoppers.com/bruce-davidson-70-years-as-a-photographer

...A document; evidence of existence

...Subjective facts vs. Objective fictions

Jacob Riis

Lewis Hine

Active in Social Reform

‘Documentary’ Photography gradually became a Powerful form of visual communication.......

It can Shock and dismay...

James Nachtwey

Eugene Richards – Cocaine True Cocaine Blue

.....And create hauntingly beautiful images showing the impact of our way of life.

Edward Burtynsky

http://www.ted.com/talks/edward_burtynsky_photographs_the_landscape_of_oil.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/edward_burtynsky_on_manufactured_landscapes.html

But it can also communicate the more light-hearted perspectives of our daily lives...

Martin Parr Elliot Erwitt

...and create highly personal, sensitive documents of intimate, individual events.

Nan Goldin Richard Billingham

Marjolaine Ryley

Byron Wolfe

Social Documentary Photojournalism Street Photography Urban landscapes

Eugene Richards Mary Ellen Mark Marjolaine Ryley Joel Meyerowitz Lee Friedlander Don McCullin Simon Norfolk Bruce Davidson Jan Sochor Trent Parke Rut Blees Luxemberg Henk van Rensbergen Matt Stuart James Nachtwey

Jo Metson-Scott Chloe Dewe Matthews