essays on documentary photography

Documentary Photography

Summary of Documentary Photography

The term Documentary Photography describes photography that attempts to capture real-life situations and settings. Since Nicéphore Niépce made the first photograph in 1816, photography's capacity to capture reality led to enthusiastic interest in documenting all aspects of contemporary life. As a result, Documentary Photography became a genre as early as the mid-1800s. As the medium developed, however, Documentary Photography became so diffuse it came to be discussed through a whole series of photographic sub-genres. Lacking, then, a truly precise definition, Documentary Photography is best thought of as an umbrella term that encompasses many styles and themes including: Social Documentary; Conservation Photography; Ethnographic Photography; War Photography; the photo essay; New Documents; and Social Landscape photography. What unites these styles at basis is the principle that the camera is in essence a machine for recording reality. Though one cannot say it is objective, the intention of the documentary photographer is to bring to light some otherwise hidden reality or injustice. Stylistically, documentarians typically favor sharply focused and/or pure images, that eschew darkroom manipulation or forgery. Other genres of photography, including Street Photography and Photojournalism , sometimes include particular works that are considered documentary images, though both genres primarily focus on capturing a moment, or split second whether that be an encounter on a street or a moment of breaking news.

Key Ideas & Accomplishments

• More than any other medium, the camera "machine" lends itself best to documentary because the spectator is predisposed to believe the visual evidence put before them. Documentary Photography can be thus presented on its own or as part of a bigger written or spoken project (as evidenced, say, in the photo essay).
• Given its commitment to revealing a particular truth, Documentary Photography resists the idea of image or subject manipulation. This is in fact a rule-of-thumb rather than a hard-and-fast tenet. It remains true, however, that, in principle, Documentary Photography offers a clear divergence from art photography because the latter tends to alter or embellish reality.
• Documentary Photography will often aim at exposing social and/or humanitarian injustices. In this respect it shares close links with War and Street Photography but these rely more on a "snapshot" aesthetic whereas Documentary Photography tends to be more planned in its narrative structure and pictorial composition.
• In addition to its focus on the human figure, Documentary Photography includes a trend within the genre that simply "documents". Though the likes of Conservation Photography and Ethnographic Photography can be taken up for artistic and/or political purposes, the primary intention of the photographer is to do no more than "document" a disappearing or unknown world.

Key Artists

Overview of Documentary Photography

One of the earliest Documentary Photographers, Danish immigrant Jacob Riis, was so successful at his art that he befriended President Theodore Roosevelt and managed to change the law and create societal improvement for some the poorest in America.

Important Photographs and Artists of Documentary Photography

Bandits' Roost, 59 1/2 Mulberry Street

Artist: Jacob Riis

This photograph depicts an alley in a slum located in what was called "The Bend," a notorious neighborhood between Mulberry, Baxter, Bayard, and Park Streets in New York. Riis said of The Bend that "Abuse is the normal condition...murder its everyday crop." Here, two men on the right seem to guard the entrance to "the Bend" while the man leaning on the club only heightens the sense of menace. Behind them, another man casually perches on a staircase railing (possibly the gang leader) while three other figures cluster on the opposite staircase. All the men are turned to face down the camera. Adding to the general mood of urban despondency, a woman and a child lean out of windows in the building on the right, while in background, clothing hangs on lines strung along the alley. Overall, a sense of crowded poverty and desperate circumstances becomes the backdrop for Riis's foreboding portrait of the Mulberry Street "bandits". Raised in Denmark, Riis arrived in New York in 1870. By 1877 he had begun working as a police reporter for The New York Tribune . A year later, after reading about the invention of magnesium flash powder, which made night photography possible, Riis took up photography. He began visiting the slums at night, where, accompanied by his two assistants and a policeman, he sometimes startled the residents with the abrupt flash of his camera. As Bonnie Yochelson wrote, his images "captured what had never been seen before in a photograph [while they] retain their power today because the harsh light and haphazard compositions convey the chaos of living in poverty." Influenced by the progressive social reform movements that had initially emerged in the mid-1800s with Felix Adler's founding of the Society for Ethical Culture, Riis published his photographs, along with accompanying text, in How the Other Half Lives (1890). The groundbreaking work, documenting the poverty of urban immigrants, spurred legislative reform and became thus a seminal work of Social Documentary photography. Yet, while his images captured the reality of slum life, Riis also perpetuated many of the stereotypical views of the era. As contemporary curator Daniel Czitrom wrote, "I've always been struck by the tension between the empathy and sympathy that's powerfully depicted in many of those images, and the kind of stereotypes, racial language, that he uses in the text. There's a tension between the text and the photographs. Today, no one really reads Riis anymore, and yet the photographs remain incredibly moving."

Gelatin silver print - The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Addie Card, 12 years. Spinner in North Pormal Cotton Mill

Artist: Lewis Hine

Dressed in her uniform of a dirty work smock, and her bare feet blackened with grease, Addie Card leans with one arm casually resting on the spinning machinery that fills up the background with spindles and skeins. Her blank face stares at the viewer, evoking the grueling toll of child labor. Writer Elizabeth Winthrop observed of Addie that her "left arm rests easily on the huge machinery but crooked at a strange angle, as if perhaps a bone had been broken and never set properly," perhaps incurred while working, as terrible industrial accidents were frequent. Winthrop added that "To keep her hair from the frame's hungry grasp, it is pulled tight and pinned in a style befitting a grown woman." Yet her delicate features, her sad eyes, and her right arm hanging in exhaustion at her side, give her the wistfulness of a child. Hine was to describe her in his notes, as an "Anaemic little spinner" who first claimed to be ten years old, then admitted that she was twelve and had started working during the summer but intended to stay on. Her deception about her age reflected the reality that manufacturers believed that younger girls, due to their small hands and gender, were ideal textile workers. Hine had studied sociology before moving to New York in 1901 where he taught at the Ethical Culture School, introducing photography as a lessons aid. Resigning his teaching position in 1908, Hine began photographing child laborers, often under cover, in textile mills, coalmines, and factories for the National Child Labor Committee. As art historian Lisa Hostetler wrote, "not only have [his images] been credited as important in the passing of child labor laws, but [they] also have been praised for their sympathetic depiction of individuals in abject working conditions." Hostetler added that Hine had "labeled his pictures 'photo-interpretations,' emphasizing his subjective involvement with his subjects [developing an approach that] became the model for many later documentary photographers, such as Sid Grossman and Ben Shahn."

Gelatin silver print - Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, National Child Labor Committee Collection

Three Farmers

Artist: August Sander

Sander's photograph depicts three young farmers, dressed up as city dandies in suits with hats and canes, on their way to a Saturday night dance in the Westerwald region of Germany (where Sander was born). An incongruous effect is created by the contrast between their fashionable appearance and the setting with its muddy path and vast fields in the background. Looking for new clients, Sander returned to the region in 1910 after establishing his studio in Cologne. One evening, by chance, he encountered the three men moving along the road and asked them to pose for the lengthy exposure required by his large format camera. The two men on the right echo each other's still pose, while, the man on the left, caught in midstride, his cane at an angle, and a cigarette in his mouth, seems to have just paused for a moment to turn to look at the viewer. As a result Sander's most famous image takes on qualities of both a formal photo and a snapshot, while at the same time as cultural historian Michael Jennings wrote it documents the "momentum of the transition away from the land and into the cities." Like much of Sander's work, the image, juxtaposing the young men's posing as urban dandies with the marshy and vacant fields, conveys a sense of the dissonant in ordinary life, a quality that later influenced the photographer Diane Arbus. The frontal shot, suggesting the three have been stopped by the camera's gaze, is also informed by a modernist awareness of the role that the observer/photographer plays in creating the image. As the historian Wieland Schmied wrote, Sander "sought to combine constructivism and objectivity, geometry and object, the general and the particular, avant-garde conviction and political engagement, and which perhaps approximated most to the forward looking of New Objectivity." Considered the greatest German portrait photographer of the early 20 th century, Sander spent most of his life working on his People of the Twentieth Century , a documentary project to produce the representational types of Weimar Germany. Striving to create "a physiognomic image of an age," cataloguing "all the characteristics of the universally human," and depicting the seven categories, which he based upon class and occupation, Sander meant to document a nation. Though the project was not completed, due to Nazi suppression of his work, he published Face of Our Time (1929), a collection of sixty portraits including Three Farmers . His portraits influenced photographers including Walker Evans and Irving Penn, and this picture directly inspired Richard Powers's debut novel, Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance (1985), and the art critic John Berger's "The Suit and the Photograph" (1980), a highly influential essay upon art theory and criticism.

Gelatin silver print - Museum of Modern Art, New York

Une vitrine Avenue des Gobelins à Paris

Artist: Eugène Atget

Atget's image depicts a storefront window where fashionably dressed male manikins stand amid displays of men's trousers and reflections of the vacant Paris street, with its tall buildings and leafy trees. The forms and their reflections comingle, creating a play upon the perception of reality, as the manikins seem to stand within the clothing display while they also seem to emerge from the city street, much like window-shoppers looking in. Atget's work - championed in the 1920s by the likes of Man Ray, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and André Derain - became particularly influential on the Surrealists. Man Ray felt Atget's photographs of shop windows were intuitively surrealist and began collecting his photographs, using During the Eclipse (1912), a photograph of a crowd gathered to view an eclipse, for the cover of the Surrealist's magazine, La Révolution Surréaliste . A humble man who viewed himself very much as a documentarian (rather than an artist), Atget, granted permission for the use of his photograph with the stipulation: "Don't put my name on it." On discovering Atget's photographs for herself, Man Ray's assistant, Berenice Abbot, soon to become a renowned photographer in her own right, became a lifelong champion of his work, promoting its publication in America and preserving his archives. In 1968 she sold his collection to the Museum of Modern Art declaring that Atget "will be remembered as an urbanist historian, a genuine romanticist, a lover of Paris, a Balzac of the camera, from whose work we can weave a large tapestry of French civilization." Photographers from Ansel Adams to Walker Evans and Lee Friedlander cited Atget as a signature influence.

Albumen silver print from glass negative - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California

Artist: Dorothea Lange

This image, one of the most iconic of all documentary photographs, shows a woman in a migrant pea-pickers camp. Their faces turned away from the camera, her two young children cling to her, as she holds an infant, swaddled in a worn blanket, and looks somberly, her face lined with worry, into the distance. The photograph was originally captioned "Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age thirty-two. Nipomo, California" and was one of several images that Lange took of Florence Owens Thompson and her family in their makeshift camp. The Dust Bowl farming disaster in particular had had devastating effects upon all aspects of American life with the poorer classes facing the direst situations and the FSA's documentary project supported the social reform programs of the Roosevelt administration. Lange's photographs appeared in a 1936 issue of the San Francisco News , following a story highlighting the near starvation conditions in the camp, and contributed to the success of the relief effort. Stryker felt Lange's image symbolized the entire project, as he said, Migrant Mother "has all the suffering of mankind in her but all of the perseverance too. A restraint and a strange courage. You can see anything you want to in her. She is immortal." Referring to the photograph's historical significance, art historian John Szarkowski said "one could do very interesting research about all of the ways that the Migrant Mother has been used; all of the ways that it has been doctored, painted over, made to look Spanish and Russian; and all the things it has been used to prove." Reproduced in textbooks, postage stamps, political campaigns, and museum displays, the image has become not only a symbol of the Great Depression, but, as historian Robert Hariman and John Louis Lucaites wrote, "a template for images of want [and a] powerful statements on behalf of democracy's promise of social and economic justice."

Alabama Tenant Farmer Wife (Allie Mae Burroughs)

Artist: Walker Evans

Evans's iconic photograph depicts Allie Mae Burroughs, the wife of an Alabama cotton sharecropper and mother of four. She is standing just in front of the family's cabin wall, facing the viewer directly, engaging our look. Only twenty-seven years old, but worn down by work and worry, her expression conveys the hard circumstances of her life. The formal composition, framed by the horizontal lines of the wood siding, emphasize the lines of her eyebrows and mouth, and create the effect of a distinctive, but inscrutable, personality, highlighted against a harsh, flat environment. As writer Lincoln Kirstein, wrote: "The power of Evans's work lies in the fact that he so details the effect of circumstances on familiar specimens that the single face, the single house, the single street, strikes with the strength of overwhelming numbers, the terrible cumulative force of thousands of faces, houses, and streets." Evans was initially drawn to literature, spending 1927 in Paris writing essays and short stories. He turned to photography upon his return to New York in 1928 when he synthesized his interest in irony, narrative, and poetic lyricism with his images. In 1935 he agreed to photograph a community of West Virginia coalminers for the U.S. Department of the Interior and that same year began to work for Fortune magazine. Close friends with the writer James Agee, the two went to Alabama for a feature on sharecroppers in 1936, and lived on and off with three families in Hale County, including the Burroughs. Sharecroppers leased their land, home, farm implements, and livestock and had to give half of their crop to the landlord. As a result of this arrangement, families like the Burroughs often ended the year in debt. During their time with the Burroughs, Evans took four photographs of Allie Mae standing in front of the cabin, each image capturing a distinctive expression. While Fortune rejected the feature, it was later published as Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941), a 500-page volume with Allie Mae featured on its cover. Though the photograph became a classic of both the Depression era and of Documentary Photography per se , and creating a great social statement at the same time, Evans said of the project, "This is pure record not propaganda . . . No politics whatever." Evans was dubbed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the "progenitor of the documentary tradition" and his images influenced a new generation of photographers including Robert Frank, Helen Levitt, Lee Friedlander, Diane Arbus, and Bernd and Hilla Becher.

Gelatin Silver Print - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The Spinner

Artist: W. Eugene Smith

In this image that seems to come from an earlier era, a woman, dressed in dark clothing, holds a spindle in one hand and a skein of thread in another, while behind her another woman is attending to her sewing. Kneeling on the floor, arms outstretched with the spindle held up to one side of her face, as she catches the thread between her teeth - the woman has almost the grace of a dancer, her face, composed, concentrated on her art. Photographed in Spain in 1950, Smith took this image of María Ruiz Rodríguez in Deleitosa, a village of 2,650 people in Extremadura. The residents of the village lived a traditional life, lacking modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing, drainage systems, or telephones. The image was published with 17 other photographs, as Spanish Village , a photo-essay that appeared in Life magazine. It is considered a masterwork of humanist photography, which emphasized the universality of human life and feeling and depicted the aesthetic beauty of ordinary events. Smith said his purpose was "to capture the action of life, the life of the world, its humor, its tragedies, in other words, life as it is. A true picture, unposed and real." During World War II, Smith worked as a war correspondent, covering 13 invasions in Europe and the Pacific, as well as combat missions. In 1945, he was badly injured by a grenade during the Okinawa invasion and returned home for two years of surgery and recovery. Smith described "The day I again tried for the first time to make a photograph, I could barely load the roll of film into the camera. Yet I was determined that the first photograph would be a contrast to the war photographs and that it would speak an affirmation of life." That first photograph was his Walk to Paradise Garden (1946), showing his two young children emerging from a dark and heavily wooded area, and Smith continued with his "affirmation of life" worldview in subsequent photo-essays.

Gelatin silver print - Museo Centro Nacional de Arte: Reina Sophia, Madrid

Trolley - New Orleans

Artist: Robert Frank

Frank's photograph depicts a trolley passing by on the streets of New Orleans, as the passengers look out through the bus window. The image conveys a distinct sense of each distinct personality but also a sense of segregation and social power. The contrast between the black reflective sides of the trolley and the white vertical bars dividing the seating sections echoes visually the sense of a society divided by race. In 1955, while taking photographs of a street parade, Frank saw the trolley passing by and pivoted, just in time, to take this shot before the trolley vanished from view. This image was used as the cover image for early editions of The Americans (1958), where some critics cited it as evidence of Frank's "anti-Americanism." Simultaneously, his pioneering snapshot technique was also attacked, as the UK monthly Practical Photography cited its, "meaningless blur, grain, muddy exposures, drunken horizons and general sloppiness." The book, as art critic Sean O'Hagen wrote, "challenged all the formal rules laid down by Henri Cartier-Bresson and Walker Evans, whose work Frank admired but saw no reason to emulate. More provocatively, his images flew in the face of the wholesome pictorialism and heartfelt Photojournalism of American magazines like Life and Time . The Americans was shocking - and enduringly influential - because it simply showed things as they were. 'I was tired of romanticism,' Frank told me, 'I wanted to present what I saw, pure and simple.'" Growing up in Zurich, Frank moved to New York in 1947 where he worked at Harper's Bazaar under art director Alexey Brodovitch. Uneasy with the constraints of fashion photography, he traveled to South America where he took photographs in remote villages and lived hand to mouth. Returning to New York in 1950, he met Edward Steichen who included some of his images of Peru in 52 American Photographers, an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Following the exhibition, Walker Evans became a mentor and supporter of Frank's work. In 1955 a Guggenheim Fellowship allowed Frank to undertake a series of American road trips. While he took around 28,000 images, only 83 black and white photographs were included in The Americans , which was published in France in 1958 before appearing in America the following year. As O'Hagen noted, "it changed the nature of photography, what it could say and how it could say it," and "remains perhaps the most influential photography book of the 20 th century." Frank influenced Jeff Wall, Ed Ruscha, Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, and many other subsequent photographers.

Gelatin silver print - Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas

Artist: Lee Friedlander

This photograph focuses on a corner of a motel room, its dark emptiness illuminated by a television screen which displays an extreme close-up of a woman's smiling face. Cropped at her eyebrows and lower lip, her animated expression fills the entire screen. Behind the television a man's shirt, implying the photographer's presence, hangs on the upper corner of a closet or bathroom door. The photograph was part of Friedlander's Little Screens , a series where the portable television, a new phenomenon at the time, featured prominently in his images of sterile and lonely motel environments. Walker Evans introduced these shots, which appeared as a photo-essay in a 1963 issue of Harper's Bazaar , as "deft, witty, spanking little poems of hate." Friedlander adopted a snapshot approach that artist Martha Rosler described as conveying "casualness" and "ordinariness," while at the same time bringing together "disparate elements and image fragments." Friedlander did not posit his work within a political or cultural context but said, "I think private moments make the interesting picture." Friedlander became a leading figure in New Documents photography that emerged in the late 1960s. As art historian Lisa Hostetler suggested his work possessed "a constant awareness of the photographer's relationship to the picture plane and places at least as much importance on it as on the image's ostensible subject."

Gelatin silver print - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Mujer Ángel (Angel Woman), Sonora Desert

Artist: Graciela Iturbide

This image depicts an indigenous woman of the Seri people. She is wearing a long white billowing skirt, her long hair trailing down her back as she emerges from a rocky hillside, the vast desert of Northern Mexico extending before her. In her right hand she carries a boom box and her left hand holds what appears to be a makeshift cane or a staff. The rocky hillside cuts a diagonal across the photograph from the upper right to the lower left, dividing the image into two triangles so that the woman's figure dominates the view. As a result she seems somehow mythical and archetypal. Because the shot is taken from below, it is as if we were following her, as she strides forward energetically, powerful with mysterious purpose. In 1978 the Ethnographic Archive of the National Indigenous Institute of Mexico commissioned Iturbide to work on a series about the Seri people who live along the Arizona/Mexico border in the Sonoran desert. At the time that she took this photograph she was living in Punta Chueca, a community of 500 people. Iturbide described how, "On the day of this particular image, I went with a group to a cave where there are indigenous paintings. I took just one picture of this woman during the walk there. I call her Mujer Ángel [Angel Woman], because she looks as if she could fly off into the desert. She was carrying a tape recorder, which the Seris got from the Americans, in exchange for handicrafts such as baskets and carvings, so they could listen to Mexican music." Accordingly Iturbide has described this photo as representing "the transition between their traditional way of life, and the way capitalism has changed it." The 2008 Hasselblad Award cited Iturbide as "one of the most important and influential Latin American photographers of the past four decades," as she "extended the concept of documentary photography, to explore the relationships between man and nature, the individual and the cultural, the real and the psychological." Beginning in the 1970s she has worked primarily on ethnographic series that focus on a particular culture, saying, "I seek to trap life in the reality that surrounds me, remembering that my dreams, my symbols, and my imagination are part of that life." After the death of her six-year-old daughter in 1970, Iturbide turned to photography and studied with Manuel Álvarez Bravo who became her mentor. Using a Straight Photographic approach to combine Social Realism and Surrealism, his style influenced her, but she has primarily credited his example, saying, "Álvarez Bravo taught me another way to live." She has said of this image, "It's my favorite photograph, because I don't remember taking it. Maybe it was some kind of spirit out there that took it." Her work has received great contemporary interest, as shown by her 2018 retrospective Graciela Iturbide's Mexico at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and a book length monograph.

Gelatin silver print - The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia

Misty and Jimmy Paulette in a taxi, NYC

Artist: Nan Goldin

This portrait depicts, Scott Andrew as Misty, a well-known drag queen who performed as Miss Demeanor, and Jimmy Paulette, best known later as a hairstylist for Vogue . The pair are framed by the taxi's rear and side window against the backdrop of New York. The camera's flash creates a kind of spotlight effect as it highlights their blue and gold wigs, Misty's tight black pvc top, Paulette's gold bra and the contrast of their dark eyes and red lips against their pale skin. Open to interpretation, the photograph has been seen by some critics as depicting the two on their way home after an "all-nighter" while others have seen them as working performers, in a quiet moment, on their way to a performance. However, as Paulette later explained, the "photo of Scott and I in the back of the cab is us on the way to the [Pride] parade, about 12:00 noon." For her part, Goldin said of the image that "I wanted to pay homage, to show them how beautiful they were. I never saw them as men dressing up as women, but as something entirely different - a third gender that made more sense than either of the other two. I accepted them as they saw themselves; I had no desire to unmask them with my camera." As a result, the portrait conveys a sense of distinctive personality, confident, even defiant with self-definition. With Mark Morrisroe and David Armstrong, Goldin was part of the so-called "Boston School". The school promoted a snapshot aesthetic, creating grainy and poorly lit portraits in an attempt to convey a sense of intimate authenticity. Goldin was influenced by Brassaï 's images of Paris' hidden night life, and by contemporary underground films like Jack Smith's Flaming Creatures (1961) which celebrated the New York camp scene. In the 1970s she began taking photographs of her gay friends - quite often glamorously dressed up as constructed identities - in the home, and at the Other Side, a gay bar in Boston. Her first book The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1981) documented heterosexual relationships, though she continued to socialize with, and photograph, the gay community. "I met a whole new crowd of queens in N.Y. in 1990 ... My old obsession was reawakened," she said, "I developed one fixation after another. I photographed my new friends constantly ... After years of experiencing and photographing the struggle of the two genders with their codes and definitions and their difficulties in relating to each other, it was liberating to meet people who had crossed these gender boundaries." This image was included in her book, The Other Side (1993) named for her hometown bar, which included color photographs of drag queens in New York, Berlin and Paris, Goldin said of the book "the pictures [...] are not of people suffering gender dysphoria but rather expressing gender euphoria."

Photograph, colour, Cibachrome print, on paper mounted onto board - Collection of the Tate, United Kingdom

Iceberg Between Paulet Island and the South Shetland Islands in the Antarctic Peninsula

Artist: Sebastião Salgado

Salgado's photograph depicts an iceberg, its jagged form, floating on a dark sea beneath a sky of luminous and foreboding clouds. A little off center, a large opening in the iceberg evokes an arched entrance or a keyhole, while on the upper right, the ice takes on a perpendicular shape, creating thus a sense of the form as carved perhaps by powerful architectural forces. The light becomes a material presence, as art critic Laura Cummings wrote, "Salgado's habitual monochrome runs all the way from coal black to silver and burning white, with a thousand tones of grey in between. The lighting is characteristically spectacular, with plenty of backlighting and operatic contrasts." Commenting on Salgado's aesthetic preferences, Cummings notes that "Nothing can have absolute or accidental priority in monochrome, nothing can leap out simply by virtue of its colour. Black and white puts everything on equal footing, on the same planet." Raised in Brazil, Salgado initially worked as an economist before taking up photography in 1973. For two decades, working with Magnum and other agencies, he traveled the world, photographing images such as workers subjected to brutal conditions, the effects of global migration, and the wars in Bosnia and Rwanda. In 1999, he had a psychological and artistic crisis. As he described it, "I had seen so much brutality. I didn't trust anymore in anything. I didn't trust in the survival of our species." He inherited his father's Brazilian ranch during the same period, and with his wife, Lélia, turned to restoring what Salgado called "a dead land." Art critic Richard Lacavo wrote, it became, "a kind of dual restoration project - for himself and his Brazilian paradise lost [...] As his personal world regenerated, Salgado got an idea: For his next project, why not travel to unspoiled locales - places that double as environmental memory banks, holding recollections of earth's primordial glories?" Salgado included 200 photographs in Genesis, a photographic exhibition that toured worldwide, and a book (of the same name) published in 2013, both of which were met with critical and public acclaim. In 2014 filmmaker Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, the photographer's son, filmed The Salt of the Earth , a documentary focused on Salgado's life and work.

Gelatin silver print - Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York

Beginnings of Documentary Photography

Early documentary projects.

The partnership of David Octavius Hill with Robert Adamson, founder members of what is thought to be the first photographic studio in 1843, produced one of the earliest documentary projects to gain recognition. For the next four years (until Adamson's unexpected death in 1848) the two produced some 3,000 images documenting ordinary life in Scottish fishing villages, as well as landscapes and urban scenes from the adjoining region.

Other notable documentary projects in the 1850s included the early Egyptologist John Beasley Green's photographs of ancient ruins in Nubia, and Philip Delamotte's series of photographs of Joseph Paxton's innovative Crystal Palace being disassembled (and then reassembled in Sydenham, Southeast London) following London's Great Exhibition of 1851. In 1854, supported by Prince Albert, and the British Secretary of State for War, Roger Fenton undertook an early documentary project, as he became the first official war photographer of the Crimean War.

In America, meanwhile, the first well-known documentary project began in 1861 when Matthew Brady, a respected portraitist with a major studio in New York, took a team of photographers, including Timothy O'Sullivan, Alexander Gardner, and George N. Barnard, to the battle fields of the Civil War. After the end of the Civil War (in 1865) Sullivan, and other photographers including William Henry Jackson, began working for the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, creating the first comprehensive Conservation Documentary of the American West.

Also in America, the police reporter and journalist Jacob Riis turned to photography having read an 1887 report on the German Adolf Miethe and Johnannes Gaedicke's magnesium flash powder invention. The flash device made night-time photography possible while at the same time advancements in printing technology allowed for his images of slum life among the immigrant working classes to be published in newspapers and magazines. His two books, How the Other Half Lives (1890) and The Children of the Slums (1892), garnered wide public interest and critical acclaim and even initiated new social reform programs. Riis duly emerged as a pioneer of American Social Documentary photography and he embarked on a countrywide tour where his lectures, featuring lanternslide displays, helped create an expanding audience for the new photographic genre.

Eugène Atget

The Frenchman Eugène Atget had worked as an actor before turning his attentions to photography in the 1880s. Initially, he created images of objects, monuments, flowers, and landscapes which he called "documents". These he offered to artists as pictorial originals from which they could produce their own works. Atget changed direction in 1900 when a modernization campaign was launched in Paris. Called Haussmannization, after Baron Georges-Eugène Haussman who oversaw the project, the remodernization initiative saw the medieval streets and buildings of vieux Paris (old Paris) demolished and reshaped as public parks and wide city avenues. Documenting old Paris became Atget's life mission with his business card describing him as "Creator and Purveyor of a Collection of Photographic Views of Old Paris." Through thousands of images, he documented buildings, shops, fittings on doors and other decorative elements of the disappearing city.

Atget's mission was not to produce a social commentary but to use his camera rather to document what would be an otherwise forgotten Paris. He achieved the status of artist in the 1920s, however, when his work was championed by the prominent Surrealist photographer Man Ray . The American Berenice Abbott , who was working as Man Ray's darkroom assistant, was herself inspired by Atget's images. On returning to New York, she became a leading documentary photographer in her own right, while continuing to collect and promote Atget's work calling him an "urbanist historian [and] a Balzac of the camera." Atget's work, which elevated "pure" documentary to the realm of fine art in its formal and tonal qualities, influenced Walker Evans and other noted modern photographers.

Concepts and Trends

Social documentary.

Given that both trends developed almost simultaneously, the boundaries between "pure" Documentary (as evidenced, say, by Atget) and Social Documentary (as evidenced, say, by Jacob Riis) have often overlapped. The early work of Lewis Hines falls, however, comfortably within the realms of Social Documentary. In 1908, the National Child Labor Committee hired Hine to photograph child laborers in a variety of industrial locations throughout the United States. Hine's images played a major role in the 1916 Keating-Owen Act, one of the first laws to reform child labor. Later, his projects for the American Red Cross's relief efforts in Europe during and after World War I, and his 1930 documentation of the construction of the Empire State Building, expanded the range of photographic subjects considered of societal importance.

The severe impact of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl crisis of the 1930s led to the development of new relief programs, including roles for artists and photographers in the worst-affected communities. Roy Stryker, head of the Resettlement Administration (later, the Farm Security Administration (FSA)) hired leading photographers including Dorothea Lange , Gordon Parks , and Walker Evans to introduce, as he said, "America to Americans." The project resulted in over a quarter-of-a-million images that have gone down in history as a forceful record of ordinary (and otherwise anonymous) Americans marooned by rural poverty. Following the FSA initiative, Social Documentary became so established it developed its own sub-genres, such as the "Madonna and Child" trope, which showed an impoverished mother doing her best for her children. As art historian Wendy Kozol wrote, this trope became part of the "iconography of liberal reform."

As it evolved, Documentary Photography played a notable role in the development of national and historical archives. Institutions, including the Smithsonian Institution in America and the Société Française de photographie in France, subsequently housed and exhibited images depicting historical events, national crises and geological and geographic records.

Conservation Photography

Conservation Photography uses a documentary approach in photographing nature and landscapes, usually with the goal of advocating the work of preservation and conservation in the natural environment. It originated in the 1860s when, following the Civil War, the US government-sponsored geological surveys that used photographic documentation of the remote landscapes of the west. In 1864 Carleton Watkin's photographs of Yosemite, undertaken for the California State Geological Survey, played a primary role in establishing Yosemite National Park in the national consciousness. Similarly, Timothy O'Sullivan's photographs for the Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel played a leading role in establishing the importance of the natural landscape and wildlife and habitat conservation. In 1867 Eadweard Muybridge gained renown for his photographs of Yosemite and, later, the barren territories of Alaska and (later still) the lighthouses along the West Coast.

The conservation mission was complemented by the painterly arts with the English-born painter and illustrator Thomas Moran using his dramatic images (inspired by J.M.W. Turner ) of canyons, hot springs, and geysers to help promote Yellowstone National Park in the public's consciousness. In 1871 he had been invited to join F. V. Hayden's geological expedition to Yellowstone where he worked closely with the photographer William H. Jackson. This was followed in 1873 when he joined John Wesley Powell's expedition to the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, and in 1874 when, with Hayden once more, he visited the newly discovered Mount of the Holy Cross in Colorado.

The 20 th century brought a renewed interest in conserving the environment, particularly during Theodore Roosevelt's administration as he established 150 National Forests and 18 U.S. National Monuments. Ansel Adams' images of Yosemite and other natural environments made him not only a leading modern photographer but also the leading influence upon Conservation Photography and the wilderness movement. In the 21 st century, Conservation Photography has reflected global ecological and environment concerns, as seen in Sebastião Salgado's Genesis (2004-12) collection. In 2005 Cristina Mittermeier founded the International League of Conservation Photographers at the World Wilderness Congress, establishing both the term Conservation Photography and its parameters as a photographic discipline.

Photo-Essay

During the 1930s, leading large format magazines such as Life (founded 1936) and Look (founded 1937) promoted the so-called photo-essays. Even those magazines whose interest in photography had been purely perfunctory began including photo-essays. The photo-essay offered an in depth photographic narrative that typically focused on societal issues. Walker Evan's photo-essays were regularly published in Fortune between 1934 and 1965, and in 1945 he became photographic editor for the magazine, taking on the additional tasks of design layout and copy editing. A potent combination of photograph and written story, Evans's photo-essays became exemplars of a genre that would remain popular with the public well into the 1950s.

However, following World War II, many documentary photographers, including Robert Frank, William Klein, Diane Arbus, W. Eugene Smith, and Mary Ellen Mark, began to rebel against the limitations of photo-essays and the format of illustrated magazines. Following a dispute about the publication of his photographs, Smith left Life and turned to documentary with his images of Minamata in the later 1960s which depicted the residents of the Japanese fishing village who had been severely effected by mercury poisoning. By the 1970s, and largely due to the rise of television as a documentary media, a number of leading magazines had ceased publication, and documentary photographers turned to book publication or gallery exhibitions. Indeed, by the end of the decade art galleries routinely exhibited Documentary Photography, which was typically presented in the photo-essay format, alongside fine art.

New Documents

Seen as a revitalization and new interpretation of Documentary Photography, "New Documents" (less well known as "Social Landscape") photography appeared in 1966 with the George Eastman House's exhibition "Toward a Social Landscape". The genre was properly announced by New York Museum of Modern Art's "New Documents" exhibition of 1967 (hence the name). John Szarkowski, curator of "New Documents," said of the photographers - Robert Frank , Diane Arbus , Lee Friedlander , Garry Winogrand , Danny Lyon, and Bruce Davidson - that their "aim has been not to reform life," as was the goal of Social Documentary, "but to know it." Szarkowski argued that the group's "work betrays sympathy - almost affection - for the imperfections and the frailties of society" and that the photographers on display approached "the real world, in spite of its terrors, as the source of all wonder and fascination and value." The "New Documents" approach welcomed mundane subject matter while abandoning Social Documentary's "objective" stance in favor of a self-conscious awareness of the photographer's presence, resulting in often alienated, disconcerting, or unsettling images.

The individual photographers drew upon various influences: Robert Frank and Walker Evans influenced Friedlander, Winogrand was trained in Alexey Brodovitch's Design Workshops (where the motto was "astonish me"), and Arbus studied with Lisette Model. While the works were published in magazines, a notable trend amongst the "New Documents" group was the photographic book that focused on a series of related images, as seen, for instance, in Friedlander's Work from the Same House (with Jim Dine) (1969) and Self-Portrait (1970). Other photographers associated with the group extended the "New Documents" approach to other subjects. Robert Adams's photographs depicted the outdoor landscape and the topography of the suburbs, while William Eggleston's debut exhibition in 1976 led to him being acclaimed as a pioneer of color documentary photography. Associated primarily, however, with the famous sixties exhibition, "New Documents" has been assimilated into Street Photography, and while there remains a strong lineage to Documentary Photography, the boundary lines become blurred given that Street Photography tends to favor spontaneity over planning in its pursuit of the artistic "moment".

Ethnographic Photography

Developing from the earliest days of Documentary Photography, and especially John Beasley Green's photographs of ancient ruins in Nubia in the 1850s, Ethnographic Photography takes its name from the anthropological term "ethnography," the scientific research of specific cultures. In the 19 th century, photographers would often travel to remote parts of the world to bring back (or send back in the form of a post card) images of other cultures and peoples for the European public. This popular practice created a kind of photographic tourism. Green's approach was however informed by his work as an Egyptologist, and his images of the ruins and the people of Nubia were valued as scientific records.

Founded in 1888 in Washington D. C., The National Geographic Society launched its National Geographic Magazine . Originally a scholarly journal created for its 165 charter members, in 1905 it expanded its photographic content with the intention of attracting a wider public audience. The magazine's photography focused on particular regions, cultures, tribal peoples, and civilizations and played an important role in establishing Ethnographic Documentary as a genre in its own right. The trend was further influenced by the Farm Security Administration's (FSA) photographs documenting rural poverty that affected entire communities and extended over generations, and by the British Mass Observation project, founded in 1937 by anthropologist Tom Harrison, journalist Charles Madge, and the filmmaker Humphrey Jennings.

Arthur Rothstein was the first photographer appointed by the FSA, a project that was meant to build support for the social reforms of the Roosevelt Administration. He documented the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, a phenomenon caused by a combination of a severe drought and over farming, that lasted eight years and devastated livestock and crops. Described as a social research project and employing as many as 500 volunteers - or "observers" - Mass Observation created "weather-maps of public feeling." The project included documentary photographs from John Hinde, Humphrey Spender, and Michael Wickham and was described as "purely informational and not meant to be artistic in any way." The founders hoped to provide for the British public an "anthropology of ourselves" and the project ran into the mid-1960s and was revived subsequently in 1981.

In the 1960s, meanwhile, art theorist Hal Foster argued that Performance Art , and other emerging trends that broke down the barrier between artist and audience and the definition of institutional space, had moved art toward visual ethnography. Documentary projects of particular communities were often viewed in anthropological terms. However, Foster's argument was that Performance Art directly involved the audience to an extent that they were no longer passive bystanders, and art duly crossed over into the field of anthropology. Artworks like Jeremy Deller's The Battle of Orgreave (2001), in which the artist organized a re-enactment (featuring 800 "re-enactors" and 200 former miners) of a conflict during the 1984 miners' strike, show how the artist works with the community to "recover" its hidden or suppressed history.

War Documentary

War Documentary is thought to have begun in 1848 when John McCosh took photographs of the Second Anglo-Sikh War. McCosh had served as a surgeon in the Bengal Army and went on to document the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852. In 1854 both Károly Szathmáry Papp, an Austro-Hungarian artist, and the British photographer Roger Fenton, documented the Crimean War. Fenton, with the endorsement of leading members of the British Royal Family and the British government, became the first Official War Photographer. Given that camera technology still required long exposure times (and therefore could not capture live action) Fenton's images focused on British soldiers and their armaments and encampments. Battle scenes that included dead bodies and/or casualties were considered unseemly and not appropriate for public tastes. Fenton's work was nevertheless credited not only for its impact on War Photography but on the early development of Photojournalism.

In 1861 Matthew Brady undertook his own project to photograph the American Civil War, hiring a team of photographers that included Timothy O'Sullivan and Alexander Gardner. Brady, at the time the most famous photographic portraitist in the country, turned his attention from his studio in New York to document the war for virtually the whole of its duration. His team's images of battlefields, often strewn with the dead of both sides, of military encampments, and of grueling conditions, were juxtaposed with portraits of leading politicians and military leaders. His 1862 New York exhibition "The Dead of Antietam" was the first time the realities of war and death were seen by the general public and it was greeted with great acclaim.

The early part of the 20 th century saw the emergence of small portable cameras capable of capturing action scenes and using film stock that could be developed at the photographer's leisure. This technological development led to extensive photography of World War I as soldiers took the Vest Pocket Kodak to the war front (even though a number of countries, including Britain, forbade the practice). As photographic historian Bodo von Dewitz noted, "After 1916, there were strict rules of what to show and what not. But the pictures from the front, sent by soldiers to their families, could not be controlled that much," resulting, albeit inadvertently, in the most authentic documentation of the war. Governments and their military began appointing official photographers like Ernest Brooks, the first appointed photographer in Great Britain, though Brooks's recreated scenes and faked images played a role in the British government's establishing the "Propaganda of the Facts" to ban staged images in 1916.

With the invention of the hand-held Leica 35 mm camera in 1925, War Documentary became gradually subsumed into Photojournalism . Robert Capa , who made his name by photographing the Spanish Civil War, became one of the most famous war photographers, his images presented in the leading magazines of the day. Other noted photojournalists/war documentarians included Agusti Centelles, W. Eugene Smith, Alfred Eisenstaedt, and Margaret Bourke-White .

Documentary Film

Early films, as exemplified by the likes of Auguste and Louis Lumière, ran at less than a minute long. These "one reelers" were called "actualities" since the movie camera simply recorded an actual event (such as the demolition of a wall); the novelty of photographic images that moved being enough to captivate audiences. It is thought that Documentary Film was first defined as a genre by Boleslaw Matuszewski, a French speaking Polish film archivist who followed his 1896 films of surgical procedures with Une nouvelle source de l'histoire ( A New Source of History ) and La photographie animée ( Animated photography ), both exhibited in 1898.

During the first decades of the twentieth century travelogue films, (or "scenics") and city symphony films came into their own. Travelogues depicted exotic locales and peoples, as seen In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914), or more meditative views, as in the earlier Moscow Clad in Snow (1909). As film critic Pamela Hutchinson described them, the city symphony films adopted an avant-gardist approach to documentary. Devoid of characters and plot, the films' "structure [was] borrowed from the movements and motifs of orchestral symphonies or the hours of the day, rather than the dynamics of narrative pacing." A pioneering example of the city symphony approach can be found in Paul Strand and Charles Sheeler's Manhatta (1921). Though the city symphony film declined in the 1930s, the avant-gardist influence continued in films such as Luis Buñuel's Las Hurdes: Tierra sin Pan ( Las Hurdes: Earth without Bread ) (1933) which brought a surrealist sensibility to an ethnographic documentary focused on a poverty-stricken region in Spain. An early feature-length documentary, Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North (1922), was so successful it established Documentary Film as a commercially viable genre. Though presenting itself as an ethnographic record of the Inuit, the film included staged scenes of an unrelated "family" for dramatic effect, which for some commentators, undermined its authenticity.

Moving into the 1930s, both political film and propaganda film employed documentary with an ideological agenda. Allied with Social Documentary, political films portrayed social issues with a call to political reform, as seen, for instance, in Henri Storck and Joris Ivens's Misère au Borinage ( Poverty in the Borinage ) (1934). Depicting impoverished coal miners on strike during the Great Depression, the film's opening title read: "Crisis in the Capitalist World. Factories are closed down, abandoned. Millions of proletarians are hungry!" By way of contrast, propaganda films were government sponsored, as seen in the notorious examples of Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will (1935) and Olympia 1 - Festival of Nations and Olympia 2 - Festival of Beauty (1938). Commissioned by Adolf Hitler, and seen by many aesthetes as important artistic achievements (if nothing else), the films' documentation of the 1934 Nazi Party Congress and the summer Olympics of 1936, respectively, were a blatant celebration of Nazi power and ideology.

Documentary Realism, Cinéma Vérité , and Free Cinema

Following World War II, documentary's connection to propaganda led to critical analysis and debate. Italian Neorealism, a film movement based upon the universal values of humanism, informed the development of a commercial film style in Italy known as Documentary Realism. Focusing on ordinary people living in Nazi occupied or post-war Italy, the genre was brought to full fruition by Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City (1945), a film combining several stories of Romans active in the resistance. Two months after the Nazis had been forced to evacuate the city, the director began filming, using an improvisatory approach to both narrative and photographic technique. Though he hired two professional actors (Aldo Fabrizi and Anna Magnani), the rest of the cast were ordinary Italians. Subsequent filmmakers, including Vittorio De Sica's well-known The Bicycle Thieves (1948) worked with nonprofessional casts. De Sica's film, which tells the humble story of a man searching the backstreets and markets of Rome for his stolen bicycle (which he needs for work as a billposter), was further defined by long shots, the use of the handheld camera, a loose narrative structure, and a lack of narrative closure.

Neorealism was championed by André Bazin, a French film critic and theorist, who cofounded the influential journal Cahiers du Cinéma ( Notebooks on Cinema ) in 1951. He felt the camera should be treated as "a window on reality" and argued in favor of depictions of an objective reality where the director became "invisible" and did not manipulate the audience through excessive editing. His ideas were hugely influential on subsequent filmmakers, and by the 1960s cinéma vérité (truthful cinema), led by the French anthropologist and filmmaker Jean Rouch, and the critic Edgar Morin, emerged in France through Rouch and Morin's Chronicle of a Summer (1960).

In Britain, meanwhile, Tony Richardson, Lorenza Mazzetti, Karel Reisz, and Lindsay Anderson founded the Free Cinema movement with the premier of three short documentary films in 1956. Wanting films to be free of both propaganda and the constraints of the commercial film industry, the documentaries, such as Anderson's O Dreamland (1953) were cheaply made using 16 millimeter black and white film stock. The group, who focused on the daily travails of post-war working class communities, favored hand held cameras and rejected all notions of linear narration.

Later Developments - After Documentary Photography

Documentary Photography was challenged in the early 1970s by the dominance of television media with its capacity for live documentation, the closure of leading photo-essay magazines, and postmodernist approaches to art marking. As photographic critic Mark Durden remarked, "from the 1970s onwards, documentary faced a concerted effort to displace its importance. As photography was taken up and used by Conceptual artists, its documentary form was often subject to parody and critique" as seen, for instance, in Sherrie Levine's After Walker Evans series (1981).

Much of the critique of documentary revolved around issues of authorship, appropriation, and was informed by the post-modern awareness that even the earlier documentary projects had been informed by the photographer's perspective, often reflecting cultural values. Though Documentary Photography continued, it tended to do so with a post-modern sensibility, sometimes adopting an ethnographic approach to the communities photographed as seen in Don McCullin's scenes of the urban strife in marginalized neighborhoods, or John Ranard's images of the boxing world in The Brutal Aesthetic (1987). Ranard subsequently went on to photograph the world of Russian prisons in Forty Pounds of Salt (1995) while Puerto-Rican Manuel Rivera-Ortiz documented rural village life in images like Tobacco Harvesting, Valle de Viñales, Cuba (2002). Graciela Iturbide lived among indigenous peoples in remote areas of Mexico, as she documented their way of life, and Sebastião Salgado has become celebrated for his images of workers in Workers: An Archaeology of the Industrial Age (1993), following by his documentation of global migration, The Children: Refugees and Migrant (2000) and Migrations (2000).

Useful Resources on Documentary Photography

• Witness in Our Time: Working Lives of Documentary Photographers Our Pick By Ken Light
• American Modern: Documentary Photography by Abbott, Evans, and Bourke-White By Sharon Corwin, Jessica May, and Terri Weissman
• How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York By Jacob A. Riis
• Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor By Russell Freedman
• Early Documentary Photography Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Eugène Atget (1857-1927)
• The New Documentary Tradition in Photography Our Pick Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Lewis Wickes Hine International Center of Photography
• Lewis Hine Eastman Museum
• Ways of Seeing: The Contemporary Photo Essay Our Pick By Phil Bicker / Time / January 1, 2015
• How the Other Half Lived: Photographs of Jacob Riis The American Yawp
• Bandit's Roost, Then and Now Our Pick By Bryan Waterman / A History of New York / February 15, 2011
• Revisiting the Other Half of Jacob Riis Our Pick By Sewall Chan / The New York Times - Blogs / February 28, 2008
• Through the Mill By Elizabeth Winthrop / Smothsonian Magazine / September 2006
• Robert Frank at 90: the photographer who revealed America won't look back Our Pick By Sean O'Hagen / The Guardian / November 7, 2014
• Robert Frank's Unsentimental Journey By Charlie Leduff / Vanity Fair / April, 2008
• Walker Evans's Eye on the City By Matthew Harrison Tedford / Hyperallergic / December 18, 2017
• Sebastião Salgado: Genesis - review By Laura Cumming / The Guardian / April 14, 2013
• Sebastião Salgado: Migrant in a World of Migrants Our Pick By Jean-Philippe deDieu / New York Times / February 27, 2014
• Sebastião Salgado Has Seen the Forest, Now He's Seeing the Trees By McKenzie Funk / Smithsonian Magazine / October 2015
• In the Beginnings: Sebastião Salgado's Genesis By Richard Lacavo / Time / March 28, 2013
• Nan Goldin's Intimate Photographs of New York - Queens By Kitty Hauser / The Australian / January 30, 2016
• How Hairstylist Jimmy Paul Ended Up the Star of a Supreme Collaboration By Steff Yotka / Vogue / April 6, 2018
• 'Lee Friedlander, 1960-2010' review: connections By Kenneth Baker / SFGate / November 19, 2010
• Lee Friedlander: American Icon By Elisabeth Biondi / The New Yorker / September 2, 2010
• Photographer Graciela Itrubide: "I notice the pain as well as the beauty" By Jo Tuckman / The Guardian / February 23, 2019
• Into the Light: W. Eugene Smith's 'Walk to Paradise Garden' Our Pick By Ben Cosgrove / Time / September 4, 2019

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Content compiled and written by Rebecca Seiferle

Edited and revised, with Summary and Accomplishments added by Antony Todd

Lens of Truth: Exploring the Impact of Documentary Photography

In the world of photography, there exists a genre that is as compelling as it is impactful – documentary photography. This field is not just a medium for creating aesthetically pleasing images but serves a greater purpose by capturing the essence of real-life events, people, and places. In this article, we will explore why documentary photography is such an important field, what sets it apart, its influence on the art world, its connection to journalism, some notable records, renowned artists, popular subjects, and a few fascinating fun facts.

The Significance of Documentary Photography:

Documentary photography holds a unique place in the world of visual storytelling. It is a medium through which photographers document reality, often unveiling untold stories, shedding light on social issues, and preserving history for future generations. Unlike staged or manipulated images, documentary photography thrives on authenticity. It serves as a powerful tool for conveying emotions, experiences, and the truth as it unfolds.

What Makes Documentary Photography Special:

• Authenticity: Documentary photographers aim to capture life as it is, without any manipulation or staging. This authenticity is what sets it apart from other forms of photography.
• Storytelling: Through compelling visual narratives, documentary photographs tell stories that resonate with viewers on a personal and emotional level. They provoke thought, empathy, and sometimes even action.
• Preservation of History: Documenting significant moments in history, such as civil rights movements, natural disasters, or political upheavals, helps future generations understand and learn from the past.
• Social Commentary: Documentary photography often delves into social issues, giving a voice to marginalized communities and shedding light on injustices that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Influence on the Art World:

Documentary photography has made a profound impact on the art world. It challenged traditional notions of art by incorporating real-life scenes and experiences. Renowned photographers like Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans have created iconic images that are celebrated not only for their artistic merit but also for their historical and social significance.

The Marriage of Photography and Journalism:

Documentary photography has a strong connection to journalism. Photographers like Margaret Bourke-White and Robert Capa have shown how powerful images can be in conveying the truth of events. Photojournalism relies heavily on documentary photography to tell stories in newspapers and magazines, further amplifying its reach and influence.

The Most Expensive Documentary Photography Ever Sold:

In 2014, the photograph "Rhein II" by Andreas Gursky, a work of contemporary documentary photography, set a record by selling for a staggering $4.3 million at auction. While it may not fit the traditional mold of documentary photography, it reflects the genre's ability to capture and reinterpret reality in unique ways.

Renowned Documentary Photographers:

Several artists have made significant contributions to the field of documentary photography:

• Dorothea Lange: Known for her powerful images during the Great Depression, Lange's work exposed the suffering of the American people during that time.
• Walker Evans: His work during the Great Depression and his collaboration with James Agee on "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" are iconic in the documentary genre.
• Henri Cartier-Bresson: Often regarded as the father of modern photojournalism, Cartier-Bresson's candid and spontaneous shots captured the essence of moments around the world.
• Steve McCurry: Famous for his portrait of the Afghan Girl, McCurry's work often focuses on human conflict and human rights issues.

Top Subjects in Documentary Photography:

Documentary photographers cover a wide range of subjects, including:

• Social Issues: Poverty, inequality, homelessness, and discrimination.
• Conflict and War: Images from war zones and the impact of conflict on civilians.
• Environmental Concerns: Climate change, conservation efforts, and natural disasters.
• Cultural Identity: Documenting the traditions, rituals, and lifestyles of different cultures.

Fun Facts About Documentary Photography:

• The term "documentary photography" was coined by photographer and filmmaker John Grierson in the 1920s.
• The earliest known documentary photograph is "Boulevard du Temple" by Louis Daguerre, taken in 1838. It's famous for being the first photograph to include humans, although they appear as ghostly figures due to the long exposure time.
• Some documentary photographers risk their lives to capture images in dangerous and volatile situations, highlighting their dedication to their craft.

Documentary photography is a vital and impactful field within the realm of photography and the broader art world. Its ability to authentically document reality, tell powerful stories, and influence change makes it a field of enduring significance. As it continues to evolve, documentary photography will remain a testament to the power of the visual image in shaping our understanding of the world.

Documentary Photographs on Exchange Art

• Iya Elelubo, Yam Flour Seller. by Nike Adeniyi

Avoiding staging or manipulation, Nike Adeniyi is aiming to present an authentic representation of the subject's life, culture, behavior, or habitat in this photography.

2. Agbe! A farmer. by Nike Adeniyi

Nike Adeniyi seek to depict the subject in an unaltered, natural state.

3 . Baba Oni Gi, The Firewood Seller by Nike Adeniyi

Nike Adeniyi show us how to balance the need to tell a story with the respect and dignity of the subjects.

4. Simplicity by oelolemy This image convey a story, evoke emotions, and invite viewers to connect with the subject's world, experiences, or challenges.

5. Connection by oelolemy

This photography creates a powerful emotional impact. Oelolemy encourage viewers to empathize with the subject's experiences, fostering a sense of connection and compassion.

6. Sacred | पवित्र by Ilan Derech

This photography, made by Ilan Derech, becomes a window into diverse cultures and societies. It reveal traditions, rituals, and ways of life that might be unfamiliar to the viewer, fostering cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.

7. Male Kudu by 0xgeorgie

This photography made by 0xgeorgie serve as valuable educational tools, offering insights into the biology, ecology, and behavior of African wildlife, specially Kudu animals. They provide viewers with a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of life in these environments.

8. An Afternoon Walk by 0xgeorgie

Images of these animals, called Blue Wildebeest, in their natural habitats evoke a sense of wonder and awe. They inspire viewers to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the natural world and encourage a sense of responsibility toward its conservation.

9. Mother and Child by 0xgeorgie

Through careful observation and patience, 0xgeorgie capture the natural behaviors of these animals. This includes parenting, and other activities that define their lives in the wild.

10. Daily bread by BIGFISHIMAGRY

BIGFISHIMAGRY captures fleeting moments, preserving them for posterity.

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Home » Documentary Photography » Exploring Documentary Photography: Principles, History

Exploring Documentary Photography: Principles, History

Welcome to our in-depth exploration of documentary photography , a genre that captures the essence of real-life situations and settings. In this article, we will delve into the principles and history of this powerful medium, shining a light on the photographers who have used their lens to unveil hidden truths and advocate for change.

Table of Contents

Documentary photography encompasses a wide range of styles and themes, including social documentary, conservation photography, ethnographic photography, war photography, and more. Through their work, documentary photographers aim to record reality and expose injustices or lesser-known aspects of society.

The history of documentary photography dates back to the mid-1800s, with influential figures such as Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine using their cameras to document the social issues of their time. Their impactful images shed light on poverty, child labor, and the living conditions of marginalized communities, sparking conversations and influencing social reform.

Documentary photography holds immense power and serves a crucial role in society. By employing various techniques and approaches, including visual storytelling and photojournalism , documentary photographers create compelling narratives that inform, engage, and inspire viewers. They capture decisive moments, employ careful framing and composition, and harness the interplay of light and shadow to convey the essence of a scene.

The genre has seen significant evolution over time, adapting to changing technology and societal perspectives. From the transition to color photography challenging traditional notions, to the digital era amplifying the reach and impact of documentary photography, the genre has continued to shape our understanding of the world.

At its core, documentary photography holds the power to ignite conversations, spark social change, and preserve historical moments. By capturing the human condition, it serves as a visual record of our past, shaping public opinion, and inspiring humanitarian efforts.

Throughout this article, we will explore the principles, history, role, and ethics of documentary photography. Together, let’s embark on this captivating journey into the world of visual storytelling .

Key Takeaways:

• Documentary photography captures real-life situations and settings, aiming to reveal hidden truths and advocate for change.
• Photographers like Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine played pivotal roles in shaping the genre’s history by addressing social issues through their images.
• Documentary photography serves as a powerful tool for raising awareness, sparking dialogue, and evoking emotional responses.
• Technological advancements and changing perspectives have influenced the evolution of documentary photography throughout history.
• The genre’s impact on society extends beyond documentation, shaping public opinion, and inspiring humanitarian efforts.

The Role of Documentary Photography in Society

Documentary photography plays a crucial role in society, employing various techniques and approaches to capture the truth of life and deliver powerful visual narratives. Through the art of visual storytelling , documentary photographers inform, educate, and evoke emotional responses from viewers, inspiring social change and raising awareness about real-world issues.

One of the key photography techniques employed by documentary photographers is immersion in their subjects’ environments. By spending time with their subjects, understanding their lives, and gaining their trust, photographers are able to capture authentic and intimate moments. This approach allows them to reveal the complexities of human experiences and provide a deeper understanding of different cultures, communities, and social challenges.

The art of framing and composition also plays a vital role in documentary photography. Photographers carefully select the elements within the frame to convey their desired message and evoke specific emotions. This attention to detail allows viewers to connect with the subjects and stories on a deeper level, fostering empathy and understanding.

The Power of Visual Storytelling

“Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.” – Dorothea Lange

Visual storytelling is at the heart of documentary photography. Through a single photograph, photographers have the power to tell a compelling story and capture the essence of a moment. The ability to freeze time and preserve historical moments is what distinguishes documentary photography from other art forms. By documenting events and issues that have societal significance, photographers contribute to the collective memory and shape our understanding of the world.

Documentary photography is closely linked to photojournalism , as both focus on capturing real-world events and situations. Photojournalists utilize their skills to document news-worthy events, providing factual and unbiased visual accounts. Their work informs public opinion, influences policy, and holds power-holders accountable. Some of the most iconic examples of documentary photography come from the field of photojournalism , such as Robert Capa’s war coverage and Eddie Adams’ “Saigon Execution” photograph.

Not all documentary photography focuses solely on news topics. Documentary photographers also shed light on social issues that often go unnoticed. By highlighting marginalized communities, human rights violations, environmental problems, and more, they amplify voices and advocate for change.

Documentary Photography Examples

Examining influential documentary photography examples further illustrates the profound impact this genre has on society. These photographs not only capture important moments but also resonate with viewers, provoking emotional responses and igniting conversations.

These examples represent a small fraction of the impactful work that documentary photographers have contributed to society. By capturing significant moments and stories, these photographers have shaped public opinion, encouraged dialogue, and compelled individuals and institutions to address social issues.

The Evolution of Documentary Photography

Documentary photography has a fascinating history of evolution, shaped by technological advancements and shifting societal perspectives. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pioneers like Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine harnessed the power of photography to advocate for social reform, shedding light on the harsh living conditions of the poor and inspiring change.

The transition from black and white to color photography marked a significant turning point in the evolution of documentary photography. It challenged traditional notions of what constituted “serious” photography and opened up new artistic possibilities. Color brought a new dimension to the visual storytelling, enabling photographers to capture the vibrant nuances of reality with greater fidelity.

Modern practitioners of documentary photography continue to push the boundaries of the genre, blurring the lines between photojournalism, art, and activism. They use their cameras as tools to bring attention to societal issues, effect change, and spark conversations. By experimenting with innovative techniques, unique perspectives, and unconventional subject matter, contemporary documentary photographers challenge viewers’ preconceptions and offer fresh insights into our ever-changing world.

The advent of the digital era has revolutionized documentary photography, allowing photographers to instantaneously capture, edit, and share their work. The speed and accessibility of digital platforms have amplified the impact of documentary photography, reaching global audiences in real time. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for showcasing compelling visual narratives and raising awareness about critical issues.

Milestones in the Evolution of Documentary Photography

The evolution of documentary photography reflects our society’s ever-changing viewpoints and the constant innovation in technology. As we move forward, documentary photographers will continue to adapt their craft, using it as a powerful medium to document the world, tell stories, and provoke meaningful conversations about our shared humanity.

The Power of Documentary Photography

Documentary photography holds immense power in shaping societies and driving change. Through its ability to capture raw and authentic moments, it has the potential to spark meaningful conversations about critical social issues and drive collective action. By shedding light on injustices and capturing the human condition in its truest form, documentary photographs serve as a catalyst for advocacy and policy changes.

These powerful images act as historical documents, preserving pivotal moments that define eras and movements, allowing future generations to learn from the past. Moreover, documentary photography has played a significant role in influencing public opinion and shaping policy decisions throughout history. By presenting visual evidence that captures the essence of events, it alters perceptions, challenges biases, and expands our collective understanding.

With the advent of digital advancements and the rise of social media, documentary photography has reached new heights of impact and accessibility. It has become a powerful tool for storytellers from diverse backgrounds to share their unique perspectives and narratives. The democratization of access to these visual stories has allowed marginalized voices to be heard, amplifying the collective call for justice, empathy, and positive change.

Through visual storytelling, documentary photography bridges the gap between distant stories and human connection, provoking empathy and encouraging viewers to question the status quo. It compels us to reflect, engage, and take action for a more just and equitable society.

Ethics in Documentary Photography

When it comes to documentary photography, ethical considerations are paramount. As photographers, we hold a responsibility to our subjects and the integrity of our craft. Informed consent plays a crucial role, especially when working with vulnerable individuals or sensitive situations. It is essential to seek permission and ensure that subjects fully understand how their images will be used and the potential consequences of their publication.

We must strive to maintain objectivity and truthfulness in our work, avoiding the distortion of reality. The authenticity of documentary photography lies in its ability to capture genuine moments and convey honest narratives. By balancing the impact on the scene with respect for the subjects, we preserve the dignity and integrity of their stories.

As documentary photographers, our role extends beyond capturing compelling visuals. We are educators, using our photographs to inform and raise awareness. With this role comes the responsibility to ensure the authenticity of the visual narratives we share. It is through ethical documentary photography that we maintain the genre’s credibility and impact.

When deciding which images to publish, we must carefully consider the potential harm they may cause to our subjects. Context, consent , and cultural sensitivity should guide our choices so that we minimize any negative consequences. Our aim is to create meaningful and thought-provoking work that sparks dialogue and fosters understanding.

Integrity is the foundation of ethical documentary photography. We must remain committed to preserving the truth and conveying the human experience without manipulation or exploitation. By upholding ethical standards, we contribute to a genre that brings attention to important issues, drives social change, and advocates for justice.

Documentary photography is a powerful medium that captures the essence of real-life situations, exposing hidden truths and advocating for change. It has a rich history deeply rooted in social reform, and its evolution over time reflects advancements in technology and shifts in societal perspectives. As documentary photographers, we have the unique ability to inform, engage, and inspire viewers through our visual storytelling.

The impact of documentary photography on society cannot be understated. It serves as a catalyst for dialogue, shedding light on critical social issues and influencing public opinion. Through our work, we have the power to spark conversations, advocate for policy changes, and inspire humanitarian efforts. Documentary photographs also serve as historical documents, preserving significant moments and shaping our understanding of past events and eras.

However, as we navigate the world of documentary photography, it is crucial that we approach our work with ethical considerations in mind. Respecting the integrity and authenticity of our narratives is essential. Obtaining informed consent from subjects, maintaining objectivity, and avoiding the distortion of reality are principles we must adhere to. By doing so, we can uphold the credibility and impact of the genre, ensuring that our visual stories bring about positive change.

What is documentary photography?

Documentary photography is a genre of photography that aims to capture real-life situations and settings, using visual storytelling to inform, engage, and inspire viewers.

What are some examples of documentary photography?

Some influential examples of documentary photography include Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother,” Robert Capa’s war coverage, and Gordon Parks’s portrayals of the civil rights movement.

How has documentary photography evolved over time?

Documentary photography has adapted to technological advancements and shifting societal perspectives, with practitioners blurring the lines between photojournalism, art, and activism.

What is the impact of documentary photography on society?

Documentary photography has the power to spark dialogue, advocate for policy changes, inspire humanitarian efforts, shape public opinion, and preserve historical moments.

What ethical considerations should documentary photographers keep in mind?

Documentary photographers should obtain informed consent from subjects, maintain objectivity and truthfulness, and balance the impact on the scene with respect for the subjects to ensure the authenticity and ethics of their work.

What is the significance of the authenticity of documentary photography?

The authenticity of documentary photography plays a vital role in maintaining the credibility and impact of the genre, as it upholds the integrity of visual narratives and respects the subjects portrayed.

Why is documentary photography an important medium?

Documentary photography is a powerful medium that captures the truth of life, telling stories, raising awareness, and informing, engaging, and inspiring viewers about the world and its people.

What are the key principles and history of documentary photography that are essential to master the art of it?

The art of documentary photography techniques dates back to the early 20th century when photographers aimed to capture reality in its rawest form. Key principles include honesty, objectivity, and a focus on storytelling. Masters like Dorothea Lange and Robert Capa have set the standard for this timeless art form.

Source Links

• https://filmlifestyle.com/documentary-photography/
• https://www.theartstory.org/movement/documentary-photography/
• https://www.blind-magazine.com/lab/a-history-of-documentary-photography-part-ii/

You might also like:

Mastering The Art Of Documentary Photography: Essential Tips And Techniques

Documentary Photography’s Future: Trends & Challenges

Crafting Enduring Documentary Endeavors

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Visual Journalism

September 15, 2001.

Photojournalism and Documentary Photography

They are identical mediums, sending different messages., antonin kratochvil, michael persson, tagged with.

T ime in photography isn’t only about its passage, whether measured in hours, days or months. It’s about its captured moments, be it in a second, or five hundredths of a second.

Increments of time are imperceptible to the eye, but not to light sensitive film. The difference between a fifteenth of a second and a hundred and twenty-fifth of a second alters the way in which what stands before the camera is depicted. A blending happens at slower shutter speeds. What can be seen as sharply defined objects turn to mood and atmosphere that could have come from an artist’s brushstroke.

Shutter speed is just one technique photographers use to take visual information to a level beyond what, on its surface, it represents. To the viewer, the photographic image can invoke feelings, trigger thoughts, and project perceptions to be pondered. And when it does, a photograph achieves what imagery has always endeavored to do—it stirs emotion and leaves an indelible impression.

In photography, these captured moments aren’t the only vehicles in which time works to bring about feeling. The days, weeks, months and years devoted to gathering visual information on a particular subject also contribute. It is this passage of time combined with the moments seen through the camera’s eye that costitute a document known as a photo essay. It is in such documents that much of our recent visual history has been told. And it is these documents that are at the core of what began as photo-reportage.

Today, photojournalism is different from what it once was. Speed is what counts. Instantaneous reports about world events, stock markets, even sports have become the norm. And news photography keeps pace. But has speed changed the content quality of what we see and, for that matter, how life is portrayed? To these questions, I answer yes.

There is a division in photo reportage. There is photojournalism and there are photo documentaries: Identical mediums, but conveying very different messages. Documentary photographers reveal the infinite number of situations, actions and results over a period of time. In short, they reveal life. Life isn’t a moment. It isn’t a single situation, since one situation is followed by another and another. Which one is life?

Photojournalism—in its instant shot and transmission—doesn’t show “life.” It neither has the time to understand it nor the space to display its complexity. The pictures we see in our newspapers show frozen instants taken out of context and put on a stage of the media’s making, then sold as truth. But if the Molotov cocktail-throwing Palestinian is shot in the next instant, how is that told? And what does that make him—a nationalist or terrorist? From the photojournalist, we’ll never know since time is of the essence, and a deadline always looms. Viewers can be left with a biased view, abandoned to make up their minds based on incomplete evidence.

Through documentary work, the photographer has a chance to show the interwoven layers of life, the facets of daily existence, and the unfettered emotions of the people who come under the camera’s gaze. When finally presented, viewers are encouraged to use their intelligence and personal experiences, even their skepticism, to judge. By eliciting associations and metaphors in the viewer, an image has the potential to stimulate all senses. But photographs that do not fulfill this potential remain visual data whose meaning is limited to the boundaries of the frame; the viewer is left to look, comprehend the information presented, and move on.

There are photographers who create exhibitions and books from their photojournalistic images, but what is achieved is only sensationalism. One extreme moment after another is cobbled together and made to look as though it captures “life.” Having traveled to many of the world’s disaster areas and having seen extreme tragedy, I can attest that these moments do happen. But around them there is more to see and more that must be understood. There is more than the angry mob: There is the “why” and the “how” behind their actions. There is more than the flood of refugees: There is what they leave behind. There is more than the funeral of a martyr: There is the space they leave empty in their family’s life.

Because of time constraints the pho-tojournalist doesn’t often capture these more subtle but essential images. The documentary photographer does. Photojournalists look to add meaning or message to their pictures by employing contrasts and juxtaposition. In actuality, these are time and space savers. Juxtaposition implies an intersection where extremes or opposites meet. Contrast conjures up black and white. But what sits in the between—the gray, the similar, the normal? Documentary photography offers witness to these less obvious aspects of life.

The role of photojournalists is important nonetheless and, as a fellow photographer, I respect what they do under the difficult conditions in which they must produce. But the product they create comes from the need for speed, and this necessity simplifies (and sensationalizes) the images most people see. Should this be the way we process the visual information that we use to inform decisions we make in a democracy?

Separating the documentary photographer from the photojournalist is the reaction each has and the relationship each holds to the images created. One reacts almost instinctually, the other with more studied calculation. The journalist takes what the camera lens captures, while the documentary photographer makes the images as a form of storytelling, seeking to elevate understanding about what the camera’s eye is recording. Given these distinctions in visual portrayal we, as viewers, need to be wary of the solo image and treat it in the way we do other bits of random information. Without a broader context, skepticism must be exercised as the sensationalistic photograph is handled similarly to unfounded words.

Documentary photographers walk in the wake of this instantaneous parade of visual information. They gather and create images that can look soft, speak loud, and transform the split second into an everlasting glimpse at the truth.

Antonin Kratochvil, a freelance photographer based in New York City, is with the VII photo agency. In nearly three decades of work, he has won many distinguished awards, including the Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography. His books include “Broken Dreams: Twenty Years of War in Eastern Europe,” “Mercy: From the Exhibition,” and a new book of portraits, “Antonin Kratochvil: Incognito.”

Michael Persson has worked for many of the world’s news photography agencies in areas including the Persion Gulf, Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, Africa and Yugoslavia.

This is one of the saddest of the many pictures in my collection. Captured street children in Ulan Bator, Mongolia’s capital, are hosed down before being put into a youth detention center. A tiny child cowers against a cold wall, awaiting his violent shower. Cropping within the viewfinder helps to show how small and frail the boy is in relation to his environment. He is the main subject. But to the side, in a watery light, another boy looks into the lens, judging me or you and seeming to ask if we have the right or the guts to stare. He is ghostly, making his presence all the more ethereal.

In a way, with this photograph I capture myself becoming the event I thought I was documenting. I am being assessed, and I am not afraid to show as much. So often, the press can become the event. Sweeping in, they drain a situation of its drama, unaware that their subjects are reacting to them and not their plight. Their subjects become simply figures to be photographed, filmed, quoted and forgotten as the press move to their next revelation.

It is doubtful that photojournalists would have taken this larger picture because the cowering figure is what matters to those who deal in shock value. But respect for people, respect for their lives, is as important as a reporter’s duty to cover their stories. As I spent time with these children, they grew comfortable with me, perhaps to the point of trust. This shot was my way of giving them a voice that dares the viewer to enter their desperate world .

The Gazeris are the oil scavengers of Romania’s crumbling infrastructure. Working the contaminated land, they salvage seeping, secondhand oil in order to survive. This story isn’t shocking enough for photojournalists to cover. Why? No one is dying or dead, and no one is ablaze with oil. Where’s the news? Yet what I found in these images is an excellent illustration of how humanity prevails in whatever pathetic capacity, in whatever terrible conditions, exist.

This picture comes together through the use of metaphoric symbols. There are no juxtapositions, no contrasts, just unrelated moments that come together to make a whole. The dilapidated, arcane trolley with a funnel tipping out from a solitary barrel seems to me to represent futility at rest. The two people walking in opposite and disconnected directions. The indistinguishable liquid on the land—is it water or oil? The way the woman in the foreground bows her head and folds her arms. This isn’t the body language of someone who is happy.

Finally, there is the hole from which comes what allows the Gazeris to survive. Or the hole might represent a pit into which life’s interminable crap is to be unloaded. In Czech we have a saying, “Je to v pytly.” It’s all in the bag. It means, what does it matter, it’s all for naught. These observations and associations come to me when I shoot because I have time to think about what it is I’m doing and not simply react to what’s in front of me. On the surface, this picture seems nothing much until you dig deeper and then, your prize. This is not dissimilar from the Gazeris and their labors .

The bodies lie all about, two deep. Left in a church where their putrid smell was enough to make me feel I’d just passed through the gates of hell. I walked among them instead of shooting the rotting pile of flesh through the window. I chose to meet the image head on, not skid around the carnage. The body in the foreground confirms what the viewer fears. Yes, these are dead people. The image is shot in low light, giving the image a slight blur as if what’s on view had been painted by Brueghel. This image would have been considered too abstract and technically unacceptable for photojournalism. But to the living, death remains surreal in spite of all we know. As I walked through the bodies, I apologized each time I accidentally stepped on an arm or a leg. Who was listening? I don’t know, but perhaps this was a way for me to retain my sanity .

This shows the half-masked identity of one of the “Interahamwe,” the death squads who carried out the mass slaughter of Rwanda’s Tutsis during the country’s genocide. Cropping allows for the concealment of identity and subtlety of message. Killers do not walk with signs saying “killer” on them. They look like you and me. It is what they do that makes them what they are. So their appearance inspires the mind to conjure thoughts of what it is they do and how. By hiding some of the information and allowing the mind to fill in the rest, the picture lays the foundation for deeper thought. In this image, the unidentified people in its hazy background help this process by raising the question about whether they are killers or survivors. There are no dead bodies, so it is even a more complicated question. We are left with an eerie feeling of concealment, bordering on the clandestine. In photojournalism, identity is everything: Faces must be distinguishable so viewers are able to relate to the subject.

But how can someone sitting in New York with a job and modern life have any affinity with a wounded or dying man from a place and culture so far removed from their own, or with a murderer of hundreds of countrymen? A galaxy of dissimilarity separates subject from viewer, and there can be no connecting across this chasm. By not forcing this connection, documentary photographers keep their differences intact while giving viewers the chance to feel and imagine on their own levels, engendering a response—no matter how vague. The main thing is that viewers aren’t bullied or coerced into an emotion that they wouldn’t naturally have. Perhaps the space in the shot is the distance between the killer and his victims, or the separation from the group, distinguishing him from the rest by his actions. These are all questions, not answers. Questions, however, do stir .

This shot is a prime example of using slower shutter speeds to create images that go beyond what they are. I call this my “Pieta.” Brush strokes of light transform this mother carrying her dying child into a picture bearing an array of religious undertones. This is in no way belittling the fact of what is really happening. A mother with a dying child is one of the most desperate situations a human can face. Why, then, transform it into something that lessens this tragedy? To my way of thinking, literal images begin and end and have no other way of going beyond their literal self. A more abstract image can associate itself with other images or memories and isn’t asking to be taken in as pure information. It is a prompt for the multitudes of links to come to life, thereby leaving a lasting impression through the memories and ideas it inspires .

The screaming man in this shot reminds me of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream.” When I work, I see much of what I do as a personal journey, and the images I make are a reflection of my experiences and endeavors. Being a married man and a father, having seen my parents pass away, and thinking about my own death give me feelings of what it is to be alive. The older I become, the more I understand, and my photography reveals this changing comprehension of mortality. Many young photographers hit or miss with their documentary photography. When they hit, it might be a feeling they’ve stumbled on or a technique they’ve inadvertently mastered. But missing means life has yet to reveal its gifts.

In this photograph, “life” appeared while I was busying myself with the shot behind the screaming man. In fact, when this reaction exploded, my subject’s arm seemed to grow out from the head as I pressed the shutter. This image speaks of how things in front of the lens can also react with the lens. It is a two-way street. As much as you look at them, they look back at you. One’s personal journey of life is woven into documenting this particular moment .

The little boy with the prosthesis may be a victim, but this photograph is not a “victim shot.” Ravages of war are apparent, yet it is hope that jumps out of this image. It shows the various obstacles life presents—the boy’s missing leg—and that with a little help from his grandfather who guides him, people can emerge from despair and walk in the light once again. It is optimism I show here, the healing process after injuries have been suffered and sustained. The boy’s face is barely discernible. His identity is unimportant. There are perhaps thousands of boys like him with similar fates in Cambodia, Angola, Mozambique, not to mention his own country. It is a picture that speaks of something that will happen, not that has happened. Photojournalism concerns itself with results, not intentions. Intentions don’t make for drama. Actions and their consequences do. This generic symbol speaks to all of us about the courage we find in the midst of adversity. It speaks to us of the human condition .

All Photos by Antonin Kratochvil ©

Most popular articles from Nieman Foundation

Summer 2004: journalist’s trade introduction, publisher, editor and reporter, the press and the presidency.

• All Photo Articles
• Articles / Photo Tips & Tools

A Brief History of Documentary Photography - Part 1

The Harvest of Death: Union dead on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, photographed July 5–6, 1863 © Timothy H. O'Sullivan

Union soldier by gun at US Arsenal, Washington DC, 1862 © Mathew Brady

Uill Children -440, South Carolina MET 1908 © Lewis Hine / CCO

-- The Metropolitain Museum in New York

Wounded British soldiers and German prisoners heading to the rear during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge (part of the battle of the Somme), 19 July 1916 © Ernest Brooks /Imperial War Museums

Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936, Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress © Dorothea Lange

llie Mae Burroughs, 1936, Farm Security Administration, Office of War Information Photograph Collection, Library of Congress © Walker Evans

New York, New York. A Harlem newsboy May 1943 © Gordon Parks

-- Margaret Bourke-White

World’s Highest Standard of Living also known as At the Time of the Louisville Flood in Louisville, Kentucky after the Ohio River flood of 1937. It first appeared in Life Magazine’s February 1937 issue. © Margaret Bourke-White

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, 23 February 1945 © Joe Rosenthal

Une rue à Naples, 1955 © Sabine Weiss

-- Robert Frank

Pat Sabatine’s 8th Birthday Party, Martins Creek 1977 © Larry Fink

The Terror of War © Nick Ut, Associated Press

Bever’s First Day Out, Skinningrove, North Yorkshire 1982 © Chris Killip

Selected Books

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• Photo Stories

10 Powerful Documentary Photo Essays From The Masters

Have you ever wondered where inspiration comes from? This is the question that journalists like to ask people of different professions in different variations. Artists get inspiration from anything, starting to create, they initially describe that around them to create something great, you need to fantasize, make letters or figures in your imagination. Similarly, in writing an essay or article, the author appeals to the imagination.

Probably everyone, studying in primary school, faced the problem of writing work by speaking and scrolling letters, words, and sentences. Sometimes it is difficult to cope on your own but instead, turn to specialists by writing write my essay cheap. Simple words that will help you find inspiration for other things.

Documenting people and the stories beyond the ordinary is one of the fascinating and daunting task in terms of Photojournalism. The Lives of those affected, the way they come into terms into reality & the very source for the ultimate word – Survival. Documentary photography shows us exactly what our world looks like at any given moment in time.

Whether the pictures are bleak, playful, angering or astounding, they all serve a historically significant purpose. A complete photo story is something which makes one understand the main objective for what it needs to be done, to bring a change to the masses, to show them light.

Here we have listed out some massive powerful stories for one to understand the severity of any situation. Less said, it would be more than a tribute to the sincere effort from these photojournalists. For a change, this time we wanted to outline the great works of our masters to understand and to estimate their role in bringing these powerful stories to the world.

Please check the below stories, a fine example of above statement. These photographers are captured their souls not photos. You have any photography story with you? please share with us, we will feature your work in this blog. Thanks in advance.

Click on the image to view the Full Story.

#1 Country Doctor by W. Eugene Smith

“Country Doctor” is undoubtedly one of the commanding works by Eugene Smith and was an instant classic when first published, making him establish as a master. Plus an unique and influential photojournalists of 2oth century.

#2 A Photo Essay on the Great Depression by Dorothea Lange

This is a sneak peek into some of the powerful pictures produced by Dorothea Lange on the eve of the great depression during the 1930’s. Every picture here symbolizes the pain and agony people went through and Dorothea has registered a version of her in the books of history.

#3 Bhopal Gas Tragedy by Raghu Rai

One of the saddest industrial disaster which occured in Bhopal, India 1984. Numerous innocent lives were lost and more than that even after years of the tragedy many were indirectly affected through mutation and deconstructed DNA even today. Raghu rai’s pictures on this tragedy is immensely powerful and shows the mass graveyard and deadly scenes post the catastrophe.

#4 Vietnam War by Philip Jones Griffiths

His goal was to capture photographs in a digestible way, which could then appear to be witnessed by the world. The effects of war and post calamity and to show what really was happening in Vietnam with more profound importance.

#5 Gypsies by Josef Koudelka

Lives of people who kept wandering in search of their survival and the hope. These pictures show us their daily routine, beautiful music and some starvation for food.

#6 Nurse Midwife by W.Eugene Smith

Again a scintillating story on a Nurse midwife by Eugene Smith. Story of a lady who served as everything for thousands of poor people across 400 sq miles in the wild south.

#7 The Korean War by Werner Bischof

How brutal could war be and how cruelly brutal could the children affected by it, Werner Bischof produces more evidence and documentation in war front on this topic. Yet another powerful story on the lives lost.

#8 Struggle to Live – the fight against TB by James Nachtwey

James Nachtwey has documented the resurgence of tuberculosis and its varying strains MDR and XDR in seven countries around the world. One of the dreadful diseases to have consumed numerous lives of humanity.

#9 Gordon Parks’s Harlem Family Revisited

The Harlem Family is one of the haunting photo stories ever made by any photojournalist. Brutality of hunger and effect of poverty, the distance it drove a family towards disaster and eventually death.

#10 Stars Behind Bars – Life with the Prisonaires by Robert W. Kelley

A Photo narrative from the inside. the story unknown for most of the people was shown in pictures by Robert Kelley. These Pictures demonstrate prisoners way of living and provides more light on the stages they passed on.

Please check our previous documentary photography stories here:

• Most Influential Documentary Photography Stories
• Inspiring Documentary Photography Stories
• 15 Powerful Documentary Photography Stories
• 15 Heart Touching Documentary Photo Stories
• 10 Soulful Documentary Photography Stories
• 15 Unseen Powerful Documentary Photography Stories
• Documentary & Photojournalism
• Documentary Photo Essays
• Documentary Photography
• Documentary Photography Stories
• Heart Touching Photographs
• Photo Essay
• Photo Essays
• Photo Story
• Photojournalism
• Powerful Photographs
• Powerful Photos

the importance of documentary photography is immense for human history

Photo essays in black and white: http://www.efn.org/~hkrieger

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Walker evans (1903–1975).

Couple at Coney Island, New York

Walker Evans

[Signs, New York City]

[Lunchroom Window, New York]

Torn Movie Poster

License Photo Studio, New York

New Orleans Houses

Alabama Tenant Farmer

Penny Picture Display, Savannah

[Barber Shops, Vicksburg, Mississippi]

[Rural Church, Beaufort, South Carolina]

Alabama Tenant Farmer Wife

Kitchen Corner, Tenant Farmhouse, Hale County, Alabama

[Subway Passengers, New York City]

Department of Photographs , The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2004

Walker Evans is one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. His elegant, crystal-clear photographs and articulate publications have inspired several generations of artists, from Helen Levitt and Robert Frank to Diane Arbus, Lee Friedlander, and Bernd and Hilla Becher. The progenitor of the documentary tradition in American photography, Evans had the extraordinary ability to see the present as if it were already the past, and to translate that knowledge and historically inflected vision into an enduring art. His principal subject was the vernacular—the indigenous expressions of a people found in roadside stands, cheap cafés (1971.646.35) , advertisements (1987.1100.59) , simple bedrooms, and small-town main streets. For fifty years, from the late 1920s to the early 1970s, Evans recorded the American scene with the nuance of a poet and the precision of a surgeon, creating an encyclopedic visual catalogue of modern America in the making.

Born in 1903 in St. Louis, Missouri, Evans dabbled with painting as a child, collected picture postcards, and made snapshots of his family and friends with a small Kodak camera . After a year at Williams College, he quit school and moved to New York City, finding work in bookstores and at the New York Public Library, where he could freely indulge his passion for T. S. Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, James Joyce, and e. e. cummings, as well as Charles Baudelaire and Gustave Flaubert. In 1927, after a year in Paris polishing his French and writing short stories and nonfiction essays, Evans returned to New York intent on becoming a writer. However, he also took up the camera and gradually redirected his aesthetic impulses to bring the strategies of literature—lyricism, irony, incisive description, and narrative structure ( 1972.742.17 )—into the medium of photography.

Most of Evans’ early photographs reveal the influence of European modernism, specifically its formalism and emphasis on dynamic graphic structures. But he gradually moved away from this highly aestheticized style to develop his own evocative but more reticent notions of realism, of the spectator’s role, and of the poetic resonance of ordinary subjects. The Depression years of 1935–36 were ones of remarkable productivity and accomplishment for Evans. In June 1935, he accepted a job from the U.S. Department of the Interior to photograph a government-built resettlement community of unemployed coal miners in West Virginia. He quickly parlayed this temporary employment into a full-time position as an “information specialist” in the Resettlement (later Farm Security) Administration, a New Deal agency in the Department of Agriculture.

Under the direction of Roy Stryker, the RA/FSA photographers (Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein, and Russell Lee, among others) were assigned to document small-town life and to demonstrate how the federal government was attempting to improve the lot of rural communities during the Depression. Evans, however, worked with little concern for the ideological agenda or the suggested itineraries and instead answered a personal need to distill the essence of American life from the simple and the ordinary. His photographs of roadside architecture, rural churches (1999.237.3) , small-town barbers (1999.237.1) , and cemeteries reveal a deep respect for the neglected traditions of the common man and secured his reputation as America’s preeminent documentarian. From their first appearance in magazines and books in the late 1930s, these direct, iconic images entered the public’s collective consciousness and are now deeply embedded in the nation’s shared visual history of the Depression ( 1987.1100.482 ).

In the summer of 1936, Evans took a leave of absence from the Resettlement Administration to travel to the South with his friend, the writer James Agee, who had been assigned to write an article on tenant farmers by Fortune magazine; Evans was to be the photographer. Although the magazine ultimately rejected Agee’s long text about three families in Alabama, what in time emerged from the collaboration was Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (1941), a lyric journey to the limits of direct observation. Its 500 pages of words and pictures is a volatile mix of documentary description and intensely subjective, even autobiographical writing, which endures as one of the seminal achievements of twentieth-century American letters. Evans’ photographs for Let Us Now Praise Famous Men are stunningly honest representations of the faces ( 2001.415 ), bedrooms, and clothing of individual farmers living on a dry hillside seventeen miles north of Greensboro, Alabama. As a series, they seem to have elucidated the whole tragedy of the Great Depression; individually, they are intimate, transcendent, and enigmatic. For many, they are the apogee of Evans’ career in photography.

In September 1938, the Museum of Modern Art opened American Photographs , a retrospective of Evans’ first decade of photography. The museum simultaneously published American Photographs —still for many artists the benchmark against which all photographic monographs are judged. The book begins with a portrait of American society through its individuals—cotton farmers, Appalachian miners, war veterans—and social institutions—fast food, barber shops, car culture. It closes with a survey of factory towns, hand-painted signs, country churches, and simple houses—the sites and relics that constitute the tangible expressions of American desires, despairs, and traditions (1987.1100.110) .

Between 1938 and 1941, Evans produced a remarkable series of portraits in the New York City subway (1971.646.18) . They remained unpublished for twenty-five years, until 1966, when Houghton Mifflin released Many Are Called , a book of eighty-nine photographs, with an introduction by James Agee written in 1940. With a 35mm Contax camera strapped to his chest, its lens peeking out between two buttons of his winter coat, Evans was able to photograph his fellow passengers surreptitiously, and at close range. Although the setting was public, he found that his subjects, unposed and lost in their own thoughts, displayed a constantly shifting medley of moods and expressions—by turns curious, bored, amused, despondent, dreamy, and dyspeptic. “The guard is down and the mask is off,” he remarked. “Even more than in lone bedrooms (where there are mirrors), people’s faces are in naked repose down in the subway.”

Between 1934 and 1965, Evans contributed more than 400 photographs to 45 articles published in Fortune magazine. He worked at the luxe magazine as Special Photographic Editor from 1945 to 1965 and not only conceived of the portfolios, executed the photographs, and designed the page layouts, but also wrote the accompanying texts. His topics were executed with both black-and-white and color materials and included railroad company insignias, common tools, old summer resort hotels, and views of America from the train window. Using the standard journalistic picture-story format, Evans combined his interest in words and pictures and created a multidisciplinary narrative of unusually high quality. Classics of a neglected genre, these self-assigned essays were Evans métier for twenty years.

In 1973, Evans began to work with the innovative Polaroid SX-70 camera and an unlimited supply of film from its manufacturer. The virtues of the camera fit perfectly with his search for a concise yet poetic vision of the world: its instant prints were, for the infirm seventy-year-old photographer, what scissors and cut paper were for the aging Matisse. The unique SX-70 prints are the artist’s last photographs, the culmination of half a century of work in photography. With the new camera, Evans returned to several of his enduring themes—among the most important of which are signs, posters, and their ultimate reduction, the letter forms themselves.

Department of Photographs. “Walker Evans (1903–1975).” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/evan/hd_evan.htm (October 2004)

Additional Essays by Department of Photographs

• Department of Photographs. “ Photography and the Civil War, 1861–65 .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Early Photographers of the American West: 1860s–70s .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Eugène Atget (1857–1927) .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Photography and Surrealism .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Thomas Eakins (1844–1916): Photography, 1880s–90s .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Early Documentary Photography .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Photography at the Bauhaus .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ The Daguerreian Era and Early American Photography on Paper, 1839–60 .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ New Vision Photography .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Paul Strand (1890–1976) .” (October 2004)
• Department of Photographs. “ Photojournalism and the Picture Press in Germany .” (October 2004)

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Ken Light: Continuing the Photo Documentary Tradition in the 21st Century

Table of Contents  

On documentary photography, the evolution of social documentary photography, the power of photography, on the history of photography, on the farm security administration (fsa), inspiration for a book, the publishing process with heyday books, behind the scenes with malcolm margolin, a book on press, getting a book out into the world, two different perspectives: photographer and writer, looking from the outside in: developing trust and securing access, learn more about ken light's book, noteworthy reviews, big ideas and conversation starters, introduction:.

Ripples from the recent economic downturn spread far and wide. Not since the Great Depression have the lives and stories of so many Americans been impacted in the collapse of financial systems. In the 1930’s, Roy Stryker sent out dozens of  FSA  (Farm Security Administration) photographers across the U.S. to make a permanent record of the times; in the process the FSA helped shape the history of the photographic medium. In the 21st century, Ken and Melanie Light continue that tradition of documentary storytelling.

Ken and  Melanie Light were documenting lives in the Central Valley of California – the epicenter of foreclosures – before the economy tanked in late 2008. It was partly a case of right-place-at-the-right-time chance and partly their tenacity to pursue, doggedly, the issues unfolding. They have created a body of work that mirrors the concerns of the FSA nearly a century ago, and sadly shows us that social and environmental inequalities persist today.

Social documentary photographer Ken Light reflects on his work in the context of the history of documentary photography, his own influences, and shares his philosophy and process on image making. Light also discusses the nuts and bolts evolution of his project’s development - from concept and funding, through the publishing process, to exhibition and promotion. PhotoWings also goes behind the scenes at Heyday (Berkeley Publisher) and presents Ken’s video journal of his book on press in Singapore.

In this part one of a two-part feature, Ken Light discusses — in his own words — his career, photographic history and influences on his new FSA-inspired book project,  Valley of Shadows and Dreams.

Click here for biographical information on Ken Light.

On documentary photography.

The documentary tradition is—unlike a news photographer or even a magazine photographer who might go in and spend a day doing an assignment for a week or two weeks, doing a magazine spread—documentary photographers have traditionally evolved their storytelling over months and often years, going back, over and over, as time allows, and also being very independent.

The life, the commitment to documentary work for me has meant telling stories, looking deeply into the American psyche, looking at the country, the people, issues that have pulled me in - issues that I feel are important for people to understand - and witnessing the world around me.

As John Szarkowski said in his important book,  Mirrors and Windows ,  Photographers are either mirrors or they're windows—either looking into the world or they're reflecting their own experience.

There have been a lot of influences in my life. Documentary photographers  Jacob Riis , definitely  Lewis Hine ,  Dorothea Lange ,  Walker Evans , many of the other Farm Security Administration photographers—war photographers  W. Eugene Smith , and  Robert Capa . Everywhere I look, there's an influence.

“All these things pushed on me, and somehow, I found refuge in the camera. The camera became a voice for me. It became a way to fight back. It became a way to cry out. It became a way to see my world and try to have a voice in it.”

Ken Light speaks with PhotoWings during an interview in his studio in Orinda, California. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2011

THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY

Documentary photography has a visual tradition. If you look at documentary photographers over history, there are a lot of images of people looking directly into the camera, so that the viewer looking at the photographs now—20 years, 50 years or a 100 years from now—will feel that there is some sort of a very personal connection between the person in the photograph and the viewer. The idea of showing the environments, the social landscape as being part of the tradition, the reportage of people doing things, of what are their lives and world are about, trying to create an intimacy with the subject and going inside of that.

Every photographer has done it differently, has pushed the envelope, has tried to find a new way of seeing visually, but I think there definitely is a thread from the very beginning, if you go back and you look at the work of  Thomas Annan ,  Streets of Glasgow ,  for example, Jacob Riis, Lewis Hine, the list goes on of photographers who have worked in this tradition who have been visual storytellers with a camera.

"Part of what has helped me and I think probably what has helped other documentary photographers, is that the worlds that we enter, the people that we meet, the communities that we photograph, usually are unseen."

THE POWER OF PHOTOGRAPHY

“Everything has been photographed in the world. It's just a matter of every generation of photographers reinterpreting it, seeing it in a new way.”

I think of my experiences as a young boy growing up in New York. My grandfather had a store in Spanish Harlem, at 116th street. I used to go into work with my father, who worked there selling furniture at my grandfather's store, and the street was incredibly alive. I would maybe describe it as a  Helen Levitt  or Walker Evans photograph, with all types of people who are outside of my own world. I was growing up, at that point, in a very white-bread suburban community, where there were absolutely no minorities: the bedroom community of New York City. So to go into Harlem and to see the energy, and the people, and the strife, the struggle, the poverty, and the street life as a young boy was a really incredible experience.

I think, partly, that experience of seeing Harlem, and then just being informed, and growing up in a time in America in which things were very tumultuous has shaped me as a photographer; we saw the  civil rights movement , the assassination of  President Kennedy , the assassination of  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr ., the assassination of  Malcolm X , and  Robert Kennedy . The beginning of the '60's, the pushback against the Vietnam War, of young people finding a new culture, of long hair, of my generation trying to have a voice in their world.

Ken Light talks about his photographic process and his home darkroom. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2012

KEN LIGHT RECALLS AN INSPIRATIONAL MEETING WITH PHOTOGRAPHER GORDON PARKS

Just as the whole anti-war movement exploded and some students had been  killed at Kent State   ,  Gordon Parks came to  Ohio University , where I was a young college student in 1970.

Gordon Parks, FSA/OWI (Farm Securities Administration/Office of War Information) photographer circa 1943. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, unknown photographer

Ohio University had a  photography department  that had a very strong program. On the day of Park's visit, we had organized a huge anti-war rally, which was in the school's gymnasium, and there were probably thousands of people. I'll never forget Gordon Parks wanted to see it and he wanted to come over and he wanted to talk. It was a remarkable moment for me as a young photographer, just getting his start in the world, to see this amazing photographer— amazing human who is incredibly talented— get up in front of this group of young students, radicalized by what had happened at  Kent State  and fighting against the war and fighting against injustice, and having this incredibly articulate man get up and give the power fist, first of all, which was quite an experience and then talk about the world—not just about photography and the world.

"Gordon Parks talked about how the camera, for him, was like a gun, a weapon, which is an incredible way to think about the camera."

It was really fascinating for me because I knew the work of Gordon Parks at  LIFE magazine . But I didn't know anything about him as a person. I knew him through his photographs—the  Great Depression  photographs he took when he was working as part of  FSA , and many stories in LIFE magazine, particularly about poverty in Latin America. There are many, many photographers out there who have been wonderful influences and also whose work my own photography has referenced. There's never a sense that your own world is very exciting, and you need to understand that everything changes.

"We need to learn to photograph in our own time, in our own world, because that will change.”

Book cover of Gordon Parks' 1986 autobiography, A Choice of Weapons

ON THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

"I think what I've learned is that every generation of photographers is built on the previous generations. And the more I did photography, the more I learned."

At the very beginning, I didn't even know that there was a history of photography. You feel like you're inventing it yourself, and then you realize there's an incredibly deep history of photographers doing important documentary projects which sometimes aren't seen because they haven't been published in books or they weren't. At the very beginning of my career in the early '70s, I was being exhibited in museums. My images weren't being published in the magazines, but they were being created.

One of the wonderful things about photography that you learn eventually is we have a history, that you're not the first one. When you really start to read about the history of photography, you begin to realize there have been people decades and decades before you who had the same issues, the same concerns, [and who] photographed the same things.

"Something that is important to me is discovering who these photographers were, what they did, what their work was about, and learning from that work, and looking at it."

I'm basically a self-taught photographer. I learned from looking and sitting, scrutinizing books, thinking about it, and talking to friends who would share what they knew and then building on that base. Knowing about these other photographers and their work and their passion has really been an important part of my own path as a photographer.

California Lost: 'Valley of Shadows and Dreams'  from  CIR  on  Vimeo .

ON THE FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (FSA)

To learn more about the FSA, read our 'Library of Congress' feature

SEE ALSO: Ken Light - "Depression Deja Vu," Newsweek

I think one of the most important periods in documentary photography in the U.S. was due to the Farm Securites Administration . The  FSA  was a division of the  Department of Agriculture ,  and it was set up to document the conditions of farmers during the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, farmers were hit not only by incredible drought and poor farming practices, they were also were hit by bank foreclosures, loss of their land, [coupled with] their inability to raise capital to buy seed and equipment. And many of them were thrown off the land. Their conditions were horrific and we read about what the Arkies and Okies described, who left their land for these reasons, and who headed to California.

The  FSA  and this work had been a great influence on me. The photographs made by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans,  Marion Post Walcott ,  Jack Delano  and  Arthur Rothstein  [for the FSA] depicted this era and these people. They fanned out throughout America on assignment, and the idea was to create a visual image so that people might understand what—as we would say today—what the 99 percent doesn't have— and what their world is about. And Roy Stryker, who was a director of the program, was incredibly talented in selecting this group of young FSA photographers. Of course, they turned out to be some of the greatest photographers in the canon of photography.

John Steinbeck  set out to write this story for LIFE magazine with the photographer, and after some travels, Steinbeck decided, "Who needs  LIFE magazine ? I'm going to write my own book. I don't need it." He ended up, from that experience and those travels, writing the great novel  The Grapes of Wrath , which looks at a fictionalized family—Okies and Arkies—leaving after their land is foreclosed and traveling in a broken-down Depression-era truck—we've seen those pictures—into California and then finding in California there was actually no work and what that life was about, and it was made into a really great, amazing film, [and] that is still read in school.

I can't tell you the number of people that [have] sent me e-mails that said, "We need to start up a new FSA. We need to put together a team of documentary photographers who could go out and document the plight of what is happening in America." They just want the resources. It really has been dependent on individual photographers who maybe have decided to do a little piece of it— to do something about foreclosures. There's no major project in which major photographers have been assigned to go out and record this moment. And it's unfortunate, because I think the power of the photograph—despite the fact that we are in the Internet age and sound is important and multimedia is important—the still photograph has an important place.

"I think the still photograph has an important voice in informing people, and it allows people to stop for a minute. We've become such a 24/7 moving world with a constant stream of news and sound and pictures. And the wonderful thing of a still photograph is you get to linger, you get to stop, you get to look, you get to think, you get to react, and it is a very different experience."

It's interesting to think about Dorothea Lange's  Migrant Mother  image, which I think is one of the most iconic images of the 20th century, and it's an image that has very deep, humanistic feelings and message asbout the world and particularly about the Great Depression in the United States.

Destitute pea-pickers in California; a 32-year-old mother of seven. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, 1936

  "And you begin to wonder, what if she had lived in a multimedia age? Would we have that iconic image? Would the image be different if the migrant mother was talking?"

What if Dorothea Lange was out there with her Canon 7D and her Røde sound-mic on top and her little flash card, and she comes across this family - what do you do? So, she'd be explaining why she was there, and the children were talking, and it was video rather than a still image. How would we relate to that experience? I think we would relate very differently. We're looking at this, and each of us brings our own experience of maybe what it would be like to be this mother in this situation, under this lean-to, during the Great Depression. How would our children behave? And what would we do?

"[These FSA images] were very important in bringing change and making people aware that this issue even existed. Photography has played a really important part as social witness in its own time—in the age of the photographer doing this work. But also as a social witness historically, because ideas and social movements and the conditions in which people live, often seem to disappear in history."

And if it wasn't often for these photographs— seen in history books now, and in publications— many younger generations who did not grow up hearing these stories, did not grow up knowing that child labor was part of the fabric of America, and they didn't know what the immigrant experience was like in earlier generations. We're really dependent on these photographs now, to share, fully share, visually share, what these worlds and what these lives were about, and that witness I think is really important.

Book cover of Jacob Riis' 1890 book, How the Other Half Lives, which portrays poverty in the New York City Mulberry Bend Slum.

INSPIRATION FOR A BOOK

Jacob Riis’s book,  How the Other Half Lives ,was one of the early books that combined the text and reproduction with ink on a sheet of paper and [was] distributed. That book was a very, very important book, because no one had really seen what was happening in the  Mulberry Bend slum [in New York City] and the living conditions of the people and what their lives were about. There’s something about seeing an image, there’s something about the power of it, people being inside the environments which were photographed—the drunk tanks in the jails, the bandits roost, the dives in which he photographed, the portraits of the blind man on the street selling cigars, the improvised children—that was seen and then heard by politicians.

" Theodore Roosevelt was then the Mayor of New York State , and he and his aides were taken back by what they saw, and it began the major project of redeveloping the Mulberry Slum, which was a slum in which immigrants found themselves after coming from Eastern Europe and (other) parts of Europe to make a better life in America. So it had a very powerful impact."

We all know, of course, Dorothea Lange's The  Migrant Mother , which singularly depicts, the conditions that many people found themselves in, in the Great Depression. So this work for me has been a great influence. And it is fascinating to think about the relationship between their work and the work that I have just completed with my wife Melanie Light.

Ken and Melanie Light meet at Heyday in Berkeley, to discuss publishing Valley of Shadows and Dreams. 2010 Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz

And it really was Melanie who came to me before the downturn and said, "There's this stuff happening in the great  Central Valley in California  that we really need to look at. You should stop what you are doing." And at that point, I was photographing in the  Great Plains . "You should stop what you are doing, and you should really go  into the Valley  because it is incredible."

Ken Light in a church photographing the Posada (a Latin American Christmas Festival) in Toneyville during the creation of Valley of Shadows and Dreams. Photo by Allison Light. Courtesy, Ken Light 2007

It is incredible to see this rich agricultural land being paved over and suburban houses being built. Who can afford these suburban houses? How people can commute to these suburban houses? Where is the water going to come from for the washing machines and the dishwashers and the sprinklers that are going to water their lawns? There are water issues in California. We were in a major drought already. And so having just come from collaborating with her on our book  Coal Hollow , I was intrigued. And her voice is very powerful. So I went into the Valley, and I began to see what she was describing.

"I come in with great curiosity. I just think being behind a camera is one of the great gifts that can be given to you, to enter people's lives and see what their world is about."

It’s fascinating to think about the modern culture and how reality TV shows have become so big on television and that’s because people like to sit and look at other people’s lives, what these other realities are.  Fortunately for photographers, we’re there. We’re inside these stories. We’re on  death row . We’re on the border with border patrol agents as they’re apprehending people coming though the fence. We’re at a river baptism in rural Mississippi. We’re out in the field as people are picking crops.

A print of Ken Light's photograph, "Food Line" rests against a stack of contact sheets from his book project, Valley of Shadows and Dreams. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2011

Heyday, located in Berkeley, CA, has been in business since 1974 and publishes over 24 books a year. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2011

THE PUBLISHING PROCESS WITH HEYDAY BOOKS

"I think books are really important. I think rediscovering work is really important—making sure that work doesn't disappear, because there are many photographers who have done incredibly brilliant work that sadly disappears or gets locked into the vaults of museums, which on one hand is good because it is protected, but really, this work needs to be seen out in the world."

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH MALCOLM MARGOLIN

"When Ken and Melanie came in with their manuscript, it was a shock to me." says Malcolm Margolin, executive director of  Heyday , "It was a shock to me because this was a valley that I had tried to avoid. This was a valley that I didn't want to see. This was the elephant in the room. This was the valley that was cruel. This was the valley that was exploitive. This was the valley that was destructive to land.

"In some ways, I had a sense of relief; that at last somebody was going to tell the story. They were going to tell the story with a bigness, and they managed to do it because they had a bigness to them.

"There's a kind of outrage in this book, and there's an outrage that you usually find in younger people. Usually people get co-opted. They get professorships at universities. They lead a softer life. They begin to compromise.

"There was something else that was kept alive and kept sustained, and yet it was wedded to the highest forms of art, and the highest forms of craft, and the greatest possible experience. I think of Ken as young, but he's been publishing books for over 30 years now.”

Ken and Melanie Light meet publisher and founder, Malcolm Margolin at Heyday discussing publishing Valley of Shadows and Dreams. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2011

Shortly after going into the Valley, we were hit by the economic downturn. It was an incredible time, the last four-and-a-half years of doing this body of work. And I found myself with Melanie having our own little mini-FSA project, initially funded by a very small grant from a private foundation that had done work in the Valley, that was interested in conditions in the Central Valley with no strings attached. [ The Rosenberg Foundation ] basically said, “Here’s $10,000. Why don’t you go see what you’re going to see.” And we pitched the idea that we would do a book.

An early mockup of Valley and Shadows and Dreams is flagged on the desk during a publishing meeting at Heyday. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2011

To put together a project, as I’ve been describing, becomes very difficult.  We wanted to do a book, and that created another problem. One of the wonderful things is that there is this small-knit group of people who love photography, who love the voice of photography, who want to tell these stories, who want to get it out. Luckily, PhotoWings stepped in and helped create the book, support the book, [and is] one of the biggest contributors to the creation of  Valley of Shadows and Dreams . And amazingly, Thomas Steinbeck, John’s eldest son, was pulled into the project and wrote about his own experiences in the Central Valley and what he saw.

We spent the next four-and-a-half years working together, and me working individually, going into the Valley and meeting people and photographing and trying to examine what was happening there.

File folders full of photographs, negatives, model releases, caption notes, and other important documents fill Ken Light's filing cabinets in his home darkroom. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2011

Of course, the Central Valley ended up being one of the epicenters for foreclosures in the world that has created the economic downturn that we’ve seen in for these last four years. But we wanted to go beyond that.

“We wanted to tell a bigger story, because the story of the Valley is really the story of what is happening in a lot of the world, places where there are extractive industries that go in, that pull out.”

For the  Valley of Shadows and Dreams , we’ve committed four-and-a-half years of writing and making photographs and a year-and-a-half of raising money and working with the publisher, Heyday, to do the book we wanted to do. In a book, you’re trying to represent the time - and there are all different moments. The cover image, 'Midnight, Fiesta Club,' has become a very popular picture that people are really drawn to. Of course, it really, in a way, unbeknownst to me in making this photograph, represents the shadows and dreams, which is what this book is about.

"It is about the dreams that people have coming to the Valley, which is the first stepping-off point for many people who are new immigrants coming from Mexico and other places in Latin America, moving up—trying to move up the ladder into a better world with their families, and also the shadows, the disappointments, the dangers."

This photograph shows both of those things—the shadows and the dreams. The dreams of a better world and a better life. We hope that this book adds a voice to these issues, to these problems in California. That helps define and relate to other issues in the other parts of the world, issues around water rights, industrial agriculture, foreign workers, and pesticides. This work is also about the human condition and about people like us and what their world is about and, in a way, why we should be thankful for what they do for us.

“We hope to honor the subjects, and also the hard truths that we discovered in the Central Valley.”

Ken Light - Video Journals On Press - PhotoWings Exclusive from PhotoWings on Vimeo .

A BOOK ON PRESS

In December 2011, PhotoWings asked Ken Light to document the book printing process for his new book,  Valley of Shadows and Dreams .  Ken made a video journal of his book “on press” in Singapore, documenting the printing process and the exhausting amount of energy and emotion involved.  Since the book is on press 24/7 the photographer needs to wake up as each page comes through to check for errors, which Ken discusses.   PhotoWings has edited a long and shortened version.

GETTING A BOOK OUT INTO THE WORLD - PROMOTION, EXHIBITIONS, LECTURES

"The idea is to create a voice with this work. Long after you finish making the photographs, I guess, this is another thing that documentary photographers do—they are committed to getting added to the world".

You spend time telling people, lecturing, trying to get pictures onto websites, doing exhibitions. It really is a whole job by itself after the pictures stop, to get these things out into the world, which is an important part of the practice.

We want people to say it is not that way now. I was at a photography conference at  UC–Santa Cruz,  and I was one of the guest speakers, and I showed the Valley work and talked about it. A young woman photographer from Fresno got up in the audience and was angry with me. She said, "You're gonna kill Fresno as a tourist destination," which in itself was kind of funny, and she just went on to tell me how mad she was at my photographs. It was great.

"And that, to us, is what we do. We're troublemakers. We want to tell stories. We want to investigate. We want people to be upset with us."

TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES: PHOTOGRAPHER AND WRITER

Sometimes, Melanie and I look at each other and wonder if we are just totally crazy. We’ve invested so much time, energy and love into doing these projects. But it’s what we do. And it’s what I’ve done for over 40 years. And I think every new project has just been very exciting to figure out, to enter in, to bring to fruition, and then use the work as a way of telling these stories.

“ So we’re already five-and-a-half years into this body of work, and now we’re going to spend probably another year trying to get the work out into the world. I think in all my work, I keep going back to this voice—whether it is hearing the voices of the people I photograph or my own voice—and I think of this work. The issues in the Valley are so important, what’s happening there, and they are so relevant to what’s happening around the rest of the world, and the rest of America—the conditions that people find themselves [in] and their stories, the issues around water, the issues around pesticides, the issues around industrial agriculture, foreign workers, undocumented workers. These issues are there and everywhere in the world.”

Ken and Melanie Light speak in Berkeley during a their UC Berkeley opening reception. They share stories and photographs from their book, Valley of Shadow and Dreams. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2012

Guests view Ken Light's photographs, "Land," "Midnight, Fiesta Club," and "Food Line," at his opening reception in Berkeley. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2012

Visitors enjoy looking at Ken Light's photographs "Sign With Bullets," "Rope Swing," and "Tule Fog" during his opening reception in Berkeley, California. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2012

LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE IN: DEVELOPING TRUST AND SECURING ACCESS

I think the challenge of doing documentary project is how do you get inside the circle of people's lives? How do you meet people? How do you tell their stories, particularly, in environments where you're an outsider? All my projects have really been about being an outsider, except probably my earliest work as a young photographer photographing my own world of the '60s. So I've always been an outsider.

"This is the purpose of why we do this work, and why we invest the time, and why we struggle to raise the money, and why we are out in the field photographing, and why Melanie is sitting in front of the computer writing and interviewing people. We think these are important stories, and we don't let them just slide into the world unnoticed. We want to be a part of this conversation. We want our voices to be heard. And we want the people we photographed, for  their  voices to be heard."

This is one way for their voice to be heard, by their image [being] represented visually and for people to see them and wonder what their stories are about.

People who I've met two minutes ago say to me, "You need to come in my house, because there's a hole in my ceiling, and you need to take a picture of it because someone needs to see it." And so my experience is doing documentary work and my experience in the Valley is that people were incredibly, incredibly open to sharing their worlds and to connecting me to other people. And so very often, I go down to the Valley and I would call someone. I would say, "Hey, this is Ken, I have just arrived. Do you have some time?"

“ And my god, these people were so generous and literally, for a tank of gasoline, they would drive me around. They would spend hours with me. We could talk about what I was seeing. I could ask them questions.”

They would take me to people’s houses. They would vouch for me, which is so important for someone to say—when an undocumented family who speaks no English, who had great fears about the immigration people coming to get them, who were fearful of being discovered—and there you are with the camera, having this person basically say, “He’s a good guy. He’s doing this story. You should be in it. You should show him what your world is about.”

Those kind of contacts are incredibly, incredibly important. And then I think you spend a lot of time just going with your own instinct, just being very, very observant, watching all the time, having in your head a little list of the things that are important.

“A sacred trust involves not only telling their story and getting out their story, but also protecting their images in the world—how those pictures are used and what is said about them and creating a powerful image”

In some way is true to what you have observed and what they have told you about their experience. And I think that they push us. They allow us to pull ourselves together and do our work and realize that we’ve made this commitment to tell these stories, and we are going to do it, whatever the cost.

Left: Attending Ken and Melanie Light's New York exhibit and reception at Umbrage Books, Fred Richin (NYU & Pixel Press), Robert Pledge (Contact Press Images), Malcolm Margolin (Heyday Publishing), and Suzie Katz (PhotoWings) pose for a photo. Right: Ken Light signs a book for Robert Pledge, founder of Contact Press Images, at Ken's opening at Umbrage Books. Courtesy, ©Suzie Katz 2012

BIG IDEAS AND CONVERSATION STARTERS

A Record of the Times "There's never a sense that your own world is very exciting, and you need to understand that everything changes. We need to learn to photograph in our own time, in our own world, because that will change."

The Power of Photography "Everything has been photographed in the world. It's just a matter of every generation of photographers reinterpreting it, seeing it in a new way."

Learning from the Past "I think what I've learned is that every generation of photographers is built on the previous generations. And the more I did photography, the more I learned.

"At the very beginning, I didn't even know that there was a history of photography. You feel like you're inventing it yourself, and then you realize there's an incredibly deep history of photographers doing important documentary projects which sometimes aren't seen because they haven't been published in books or they weren't, at the very beginning of my career in the early '70s, being exhibited in museums. They weren't being published in the magazines. But they were, in fact, being created."

The Importance of Photography Books "A book is an object that lasts for a very, very long time and it is an important record. It goes into libraries, it goes into people's collections, it passes from one photographer's hands to the next."

Photographers as Part of the Conversation "That, to us, is what we do. We're troublemakers. We want to tell stories. We want to investigate. We want people to be upset with us."

Working With the People you Photograph "They would drive me around. They would spend hours with me. We could talk about what I was seeing. I could ask them questions.

"They would take me to people's houses. They would vouch for me, which is so important for someone to say—when a documented family who spoke no English, who had great fears about the immigration people coming to get them, who were fearful of being discovered—and there you are with the camera, having this person basically say, "He's a good guy. He's doing this story. You should be in it. You should show him what your world is about.""

The Relationship Between Photographer and Subject "A sacred trust involves not only telling their story and getting out their story, but also protecting their images in the world—how those pictures are used and what is said about them and creating a powerful image" that, I think, in some way is true to what you have observed and what they have told you about their experience.

"And I think that they push us. They allow us to pull ourselves together and do our work and realize that we've made this commitment to tell these stories, and we are going to do it, whatever the cost."

Dedication to Your Work "Sometimes, Melanie and I look at each other and wonder if we are just totally crazy. We've invested so much time, energy and love into doing these projects. But it's what we do. And it's what I've done for over 40 years. And I think every new project has just been very exciting to figure out, to enter in, to bring to fruition, and then use the work as a way of telling these stories."

Giving a Voice to the Voiceless "So we're already five-and-a-half years into this body of work, and now we're going to spend probably another year trying to get the work out into the world. I think in all my work, I keep going back to this voice—whether it is hearing the voices of the people I photograph or my own voice—and I think of this work. The issues in the Valley are so important, what's happening there, and they are so relevant to what's happening around the rest of the world, and the rest of America—the conditions that people find themselves (in), and their stories, the issues around water, the issues around pesticides, the issues around industrial agriculture, foreign workers, undocumented workers. I mean, these issues are there, everywhere in the world."

Believe in Your Work "My experience in the Valley and in other projects I've done is that people put an incredible amount of faith in what it is you are going to do. And so I've had people pull me into their houses, people who I don't even know."

Photographers as Role Models "I would go visit this family pretty much every trip I made into the delta, after having met them. The mother would always use me as an example of how her son could do something with his life. It was fascinating, like, "Here he is. He's a photographer. This is something good. You could be a photographer. You could be out in the world. You shouldn't be getting in trouble. There are a lot of things you can do. Look at this guy. He's interested in us. He's interested in you." I was kind of a positive role model. It was really fascinating, and I remember when I came back four, five months later, he'd been arrested and he had gotten trouble. He had been with a bunch of friends who were robbing a house. They went in, they broke into a house, and he was the lookout. They escaped out the backdoor, and they left him standing there, and he got arrested, and he was going to be before the juvenile authorities in Mississippi. The mother just kept saying, "You should go to school. Look at this photographer. There are a lot of possibilities." It was just really fascinating to see that, obviously, my being there and my interest in the family and my interest in the young boy was something that she saw as really positive. So I think photographers can (play) a positive role in how people see them, within the families and in telling their stories."

LEARN MORE ABOUT KEN LIGHT'S BOOK

Valley of Shadows and Dreams - Offical Book Website This website is home to Ken and Melanie Light's book project. The site features project details, images, excerpts from the book and additional resources about the Central Valley.

Ken Light - Official Website Browse through photo galleries from Ken Light's extensive portfolio, including publications, stock images, biographical information and more.

New York Times - The Vanishing Valley, by Ken and Melanie Light Contributed opinion text from Ken and Melanie Light, May 2012

San Francisco Chronicle Ken Light sits down for an interview with Sam Whiting of the San Francisco Chronicle

AGree  AGree is a new initiative that brings together a diverse group of interests to transform U.S. food and agriculture policy so that we can meet the challenges of the future.

American Farm Bureau Farm Bureau is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization governed by and representing farm and ranch families united for the purpose of analyzing their problems and formulating action to achieve educational improvement, economic opportunity and social advancement and, thereby, to promote the national well-being.

California AgVision In 2008, the State Board of Food and Agriculture inaugurated California Agricultural Vision (CAV) as a process intended to result in a strategic plan for the future of the state’s agriculture and food system.

California Institute for Rural Studies CIRS is the only non-profit organization in California with a mission to conduct public interest research that strengthens social justice and increases the sustainability of California’s rural communities.Their work informs public policy and inspires action for social change while providing a fact-based foundation for organizations and individuals working to ameliorate rural injustice.

Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment The Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment is an environmental justice organization dedicated to helping grassroots groups across the United States attack head on the disproportionate burden of pollution borne by poor people and people of color. We provide organizing, technical and legal assistance to help community groups stop immediate environmental threats.

Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy Database  and  The Environmental Working Group The mission of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. Great links to related topics:

Great Valley Center The mission of the Great Valley Center is to support activities and organizations that promote the economic, social and environmental well-being of California’s Great Central Valley. Roots of Change Roots of Change brings a diverse range of Californians to the table to build a common interest in food and farming so that every aspect of our food—from the time it’s grown to the time it’s eaten— can be healthy, safe, profitable, affordable and fair.

NOTEWORTHY REVIEWS

"I think Ken has made enormous artistic (emotional, intellectual) strides here, and has been able to translate the visual ideas of the FSA (Farm Security Administration) into a new, more complex, psychological vocabulary for our present times. I think these are some of the best pictures made in California today because he is not following the familiar conventions of FSA photography but has used them to advance those ideas and create something new and important. I don't think they would be as moving or as important if they were in the FSA mode." - Sandra Phillips, Senior Curator of Photography, SFMOMA

"...the book's bleak vista encompasses compassion, loyalty, resilience, resistance and even humor. Page after page of black-and-white imagery places the book aptly in the lineage of Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank." - Kenneth Baker, San Francisco Chronicle Read Baker's full review of Valley of Shadows and Dreams here

“In some ways, I had a sense of relief; that at last somebody was going to tell the story. They were going to tell the story with a bigness, and they managed to do it because they had a bigness to them.” - Malcolm Margolin, Publisher at Heyday Books

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Social Documentary Photography Then and Now Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Early social documentary photography and its aims, modern social documentary photography and its aims, works cited.

Social documentary has existed for more than 100 years and it has had numerous aims and implications throughout this time. Many photographers highlighted aspects of people’s life that were unknown to the larger public. Such artists as Jacob Riis, Lewis Hine, Dorothea Lange and many others are seen as most influential photographers that shaped or rather created social documentary photography. It is possible to single out two major goals those photographers pursued: to draw people’s attention and to motivate people to act. There were other aims as well. However, it is necessary to note that the two major goals have remained unchanged and contemporary photographers try to achieve the same goals with the help of social documentary photography, which is a combination of ideology and person experiences.

As has been mentioned above, Jacob Riis is regarded as one of the most influential documentary photographers. He was a Danish immigrant who helped people learn about underprivileged groups within the American society. In the first place, he tried to inform people about the diversity of life in the city, which was a common trend for the beginning of the twentieth century (Marien 203). For instance, he depicted the life in the slums where people pertaining to middle class were afraid to walk. His famous photograph of the criminals’ roost reveals the atmosphere in that place (see fig. 1). The photographer also tried to draw people’s attention to the issues of the poor (especially immigrants). He believed that the rich and the middle-class had to support the poor through charities and he took numerous pictures to show that misfortunes of the poor.

Lewis Hine also pursued similar goals as he tried to make people think of less privileged people and help them overcome numerous constraints. Importantly, Lewis Hine also showed the life of underprivileged and their problems. However, the artists also wanted to reveal the dignity of immigrants and wanted to make people see them as “Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock” (qtd. in Marien 205). Hine tried to reveal immigrants strive for their own American Dream and their readiness to work hard and succeed (see fig. 2). It is necessary to note that the two photographers, Riis and Hine, had quite specific views on immigrants and this affected their works significantly.

It is also necessary to add that Lewis Hine also pursued another aim. He worked for such organizations as the National Child Labor Committee and he took pictures to unveil the wrongs of the capitalistic society and reveal the results of the organization’s work. Therefore, social documentary photography was aimed at reporting particular results of campaigns. It became associated with “giving the reader empirical evidence with a strong pedagogic or even judicial tone” (Bate 50). This was especially true for the period of the Great Depression when thousands of people became victims of the capitalistic system.

It is possible to note that the photos became indispensable parts of the ideology. For example, Dorothea Lange’s photo became iconic and it still represents despair of people who lost everything and did not have any chance to survive in the harsh period of the Great Depression (see fig. 3). The picture has become a reminder and is used by people living in the 21 st century as a symbol of the dark side of capitalism.

After a brief analysis of the early social documentary photography, it becomes clear that major aims and goals have not changed. Photographers still try to draw people’s attention to major issues arising in the society. Thus, James Phillips shows Palestine people protesting in London against the horrible events that took place in summer 2014 (see fig. 4). The photo is really appealing as a young man holding a baby is in the center of the protest march. The photographer reveals the essence of the situation in Palestine where hundreds and thousands of innocent people (including children) were exposed to a great danger and became victims of the wrongs of the contemporary society.

Another aim of the contemporary social documentary photography is to provide particular evidence on charity programs and incentives. Photographers provide photos depicting results and outcomes of charitable activities (see fig. 5). Importantly, in both cases (revealing the wrongs of the society and results of charity programs) serve one goal. These photographs are aimed at appealing to people’s hearts and making them participate in the life of others. It is clear that the two photos provided can make people think of the issues (military conflicts and lack of resources). In its turn, it may result in particular activities that can help people make a difference and create a better society.

It is also important to note that contemporary photographers are as biased as their counterparts who worked 100 years ago. It is clear that documentary photography is more objective than other types of art. However, it still remains biased as the photographer puts into his works “something of the emotion which he feels toward the problem” (Bogre 3). Photographers draw people’s attention towards issues that interest them. Thus, Riis and Hine focused on the life of immigrants while Kim is interested in the availability of resources. This is an important feature of the social documentary photography.

Finally, it is clear that contemporary social documentary photography is also a part of ideology. People’s views on many issues have changed but their desire to solve them remains unchanged. Contemporary ideology is rooted in people desire to create a better world and photographers reveal this ideology in their works. They try to make people respond to the challenges of the contemporary world and start creating a better world.

On balance, it is possible to note that social documentary photography has evolved significantly and some topics like environmental issues or globalization emerged. However, major aims of the social documentary photography remained unchanged. They can be formulated as follows: to make people know and to make people respond. It is noteworthy that making people know can be divided into two subcategories: unveiling the issue and providing evidence of the positive effect of this or that charity. It is also important to remember that even documentary photography is still biased and the viewer does not see bare facts. The viewer is exposed to the photographer’s vision and emotions. However, this does not make social documentary photography less meaningful. It still makes people acknowledge the problem and try to make a difference to create a better society.

Bate, David. Photography: The Key Concepts. New York, NY: Berg, 2009. Print.

Bogre, Michelle. Photography as Activism: Images for Social Change. Burlington, MA: CRC Press, 2012. Print.

Marien, Mary Warner. Photography: A Cultural History. London: Laurence King, 2014. Print.

• Hine’s Indianapolis and Kruger's Help! Photography
• Child Labor, Great Depression and World War II in Photographs
• Photography: Is It Possible to Recapture the Past?
• Michelangelo’s Pietà and Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother: Comparison and Contrast
• The “Migrant Mother” Photo Collection by Dorothea Lange
• The Photography Gallery in Melbourne
• Melbourne' Keith Gallery: Photography Analysis
• The Basic Critical Theory for Photography
• Photography as a Mass Medium
• The Hispanic Project" by Nikki S. Lee
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2020, June 22). Social Documentary Photography Then and Now. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-documentary-photography-then-and-now/

"Social Documentary Photography Then and Now." IvyPanda , 22 June 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/social-documentary-photography-then-and-now/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Social Documentary Photography Then and Now'. 22 June.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Social Documentary Photography Then and Now." June 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-documentary-photography-then-and-now/.

1. IvyPanda . "Social Documentary Photography Then and Now." June 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-documentary-photography-then-and-now/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Social Documentary Photography Then and Now." June 22, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/social-documentary-photography-then-and-now/.

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Women Who Shaped History

A Smithsonian magazine special report

History | July 9, 2024

Meet Vivian Maier, the Reclusive Nanny Who Secretly Became One of the Best Street Photographers of the 20th Century

The self-taught artist is getting her first museum exhibition in New York City, where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography

Ellen Wexler

Assistant Editor, Humanities

Vivian Maier took more than 150,000 photographs as she scoured the streets of New York and Chicago. She rarely looked at them; often, she didn’t even develop the negatives. Without any formal training, she created a sprawling body of work that demonstrated a wholly original way of looking at the world. Today, she is considered one of the best street photographers of the 20th century.

Maier’s photos provide audiences with a tantalizing peek behind the curtain into a remarkable mind. But she never intended to have an audience. A nanny by trade, she rarely showed anyone her prints. In her final years, she stashed five decades of work in storage lockers, which she eventually stopped paying for. Their contents went to auction in 2007.

Many of Maier’s photos ended up with amateur historian John Maloof , who purchased 30,000 negatives for about $400. In the years that followed, he sought out other collectors who had purchased boxes from the same lockers. He didn’t learn the photographer’s identity until 2009, when he found her name scrawled on an envelope among the negatives. A quick Google search revealed that Maier had died just a few days earlier. Uncertain of how to proceed, Maloof started posting her images online.

“I guess my question is, what do I do with this stuff?” he wrote in a Flickr post . “Is this type of work worthy of exhibitions, a book? Or do bodies of work like this come up often? Any direction would be great.”

Maier quickly became a sensation. Everyone wanted to know about the recluse who had so adeptly captured 20th-century America. Her life and work have since been the subject of a best-selling book , a documentary and exhibitions around the world .

Now, the self-taught photographer is headlining her first major American retrospective. “ Vivian Maier: Unseen Work ,” which is currently on view at Fotografiska New York, features some 230 pieces from the 1950s through the 1990s, including black-and-white and color photos, vintage and modern prints, films, and sound recordings. The show is also billed as the first museum exhibition in Maier’s hometown, the city where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography.

Born in New York City in 1926, Maier grew up mostly in France, where she began experimenting with a Kodak Brownie , an affordable early camera designed for amateurs. After returning to New York in 1951, she purchased a Rolleiflex , a high-end camera held at the waist, and began developing her signature style: images of everyday life framed with a stark humor and intuitive understanding of human emotion. She started working as a governess, a role that allowed her to spend hours wandering the city, children in tow, as she snapped away.

She left New York about five years later, when she secured a job as a nanny for three boys—John, Lane and Matthew Gensburg—in the Chicago suburbs. The family was devoted to Maier, though they knew very little about her. The boys remember attending art films and picking wild strawberries as her charges, but they don’t recall her ever mentioning any family or friends. Their parents knew that Maier traveled—they would hire a replacement nanny in her absence—but they didn’t know where she went.

“You really wouldn’t ask her about it at all,” Nancy Gensburg, the boys’ mother, told Chicago magazine in 2010. “I mean, you could, but she was private. Period.”

Despite Maier’s reclusive tendencies, the Gensburgs knew about her photography. It would have been difficult to hide. After all, she lived with the family and had a private bathroom, which she used as a darkroom to develop black-and-white photos herself. The Gensburgs frequently witnessed her taking photos; on rare occasions, she even showed them her prints.

Maier stayed with the Gensburgs until the early 1970s, when the boys were too old for a nanny. She spent the next few decades working in other caretaking roles, though she doesn’t appear to have developed a similar relationship with these families, who viewed her as a competent caregiver with an eccentric personality. Most never saw her prints, though they do remember her moving into their homes with hundreds of boxes of photos in tow.

“I once saw her taking a picture inside a refuse can,” talk show host Phil Donahue, who employed Maier as a nanny for less than a year, told Chicago magazine. “I never remotely thought that what she was doing would have some special artistic value.”

Meanwhile, the Gensburgs kept in touch. As Maier grew older, they took care of her, eventually moving her to a nursing home. They never knew about the storage lockers. When she died at age 83, a short obituary appeared in the Chicago Tribune , describing her as a “second mother” to the three boys, a “free and kindred spirit,” and a “movie critic and photographer extraordinaire.”

Maier’s mysterious backstory is a large part of her present-day appeal. Fans are captivated by the photos, but they’re also intrigued by the reclusive nanny who developed her talents in secret. “Vivian Maier the mystery, the discovery and the work—those three parts together are difficult to separate,” Anne Morin, curator of the new exhibition, tells CNN .

The show is meant to focus on the work rather than the mystery. As Morin says to the Art Newspaper , she hopes to avoid “imposing an overexposed interpretation of her character.” Instead, the exhibition aims to elevate Maier’s name to the level of other famous street photographers—such as Robert Frank and Diane Arbus —and take on the daunting task of examining her large oeuvre.

“In ten years, we could do another completely different show,” Morin tells CNN. “She has more than enough material to bring to the table.”

The subjects of Maier’s street photos ran the gamut, but she often turned her lens toward “people on the margins of society who weren’t usually photographed and of whom images were rarely published,” per a statement from Fotografiska New York. The Gensburg boys recall her taking them all over the city, adamant that they witness what life was like beyond the confines of their affluent suburb.

The exhibition is organized thematically, with sections devoted to Maier’s famous street photos, her experimental abstract compositions and her stylized self-portraits. The self-portraits, which frequently incorporate mirrors and reflections, amplify her enigmatic qualities, usually showing her with a deadpan, focused expression. Her voice can be heard in numerous audio recordings, which play throughout the exhibition. As such, even as the show focuses on the work, Maier the person is still a frequent presence in it.

“The paradox of Vivian Maier is that the lifetime of anonymity that has captured the public imagination persists in the work,” writes art critic Arthur Lubow for the New York Times , adding, “An artist uses a camera as a tool of self-expression. Maier was a supremely gifted chameleon. After immersing myself in her work, other than detecting a certain wryness, I could not get much sense of her sensibility.”

The artist undoubtedly possessed a curiosity about her immediate surroundings, which she photographed with a “lack of self-consciousness,” Sophie Wright, the New York museum’s director, tells CNN. “There’s no audience in mind.” There is no evidence that Maier wondered about her viewers—or that she ever imagined having viewers in the first place. They, however, will never stop wondering about her.

“ Vivian Maier: Unseen Work ” is on view at Fotografiska New York through September 29.

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Ellen Wexler is Smithsonian magazine’s assistant digital editor, humanities.

The 30 Best Documentaries of All Time, Ranked

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The documentary genre is a more varied one than many people give it credit for. As a type of film, documentaries do usually aim to inform or educate about some kind of non-fiction story or topic, but that's not their sole purpose. Some aim to evoke certain feelings or experiences more than anything else, others aim to present an argument or point of view in a persuasive manner, and others are mostly concerned with simply entertaining audiences the way a work of fiction might. Furthermore, some documentaries aim to do a combination of the above, or maybe even none of the above, instead opting to do something else entirely

Exploring the world of documentary filmmaking can be a truly eye-opening thing to do, and reveal worlds or unique perspectives that aren't as easy to explore through other genres. It's safe to assume that documentary movies will never go out of style, which makes keeping track of the best documentaries out there worthwhile. Some of the best documentaries of all time have been around for decades, while others are more recent, and deal with ongoing, ever-topical issues. The films below aren't merely good documentaries; they're largely considered all-timers within the genre, and can all be described quite reasonably as the best documentaries ever. What follows are some of the finest documentary films of all time, ranked below from great to greatest.

30 'Bowling for Columbine' (2002)

Director: michael moore.

Coming out years before crime documentaries became Netflix's bread and butter, Bowling for Columbine uses a horrific crime spree as a jumping-off point to explore American culture, and its seemingly unending love of firearms. The event it's all framed around is the Columbine High School massacre of 1999, which claimed more than 20 victims.

In one of the best movies of 2002 , Michael Moore made arguably his most passionate and emotional movie with Bowling for Columbine , with the editing and presentation making the arguments put forward quite persuasive. It's in-your-face and uncompromising as a documentary, and it works well as something that clearly wants to start a conversation about a serious topic.

bowling for columbine

Watch on Tubi

29 'Sans Soleil' (1983)

Director: chris marker.

Sans Soleil is a documentary that's hard to summarize, and has a rather experimental approach to the format/genre. It has little by way of narrative or a direct argument that it wants to present, instead being an artistically presented odyssey through a woman's abstract thoughts, often relating to the meaning of life and human existence.

Sans Soleil feels broad and open to interpretation, but it's the kind of thing where someone could watch it and have it fully click , gaining an entirely different understanding than other viewers. This might make Sans Soleil something of an acquired taste, but it's worth at least one watch for those who appreciate unconventional and adventurous documentary movies .

Watch on Criterion

28 '13th' (2016)

Director: ava duvernay.

Standing as one of the most important cultural/political documentaries in recent memory, 13th is a difficult yet essential watch. It tackles the U.S. prison system with a particular focus on the racial inequality present within it, tying the way prisons function in modern times to the way slavery functioned back during the nation's earlier days.

It might be a difficult thing for some viewers to hear and grapple with, but 13th is persuasive and remarkably good at presenting the case for this claim. It's all assembled amazingly well, and makes for the kind of film that wants to frustrate, get people thinking, and have viewers reassess what they thought they knew. In these ways, 13th is a resoundingly successful documentary.

Watch on Netflix

27 'Gimme Shelter' (1970)

Directors: albert and david maysles, charlotte zwerin.

It's no secret that Martin Scorsese loves The Rolling Stones , having directed his own documentary about them and using their songs throughout his films. He seems particularly fond of the song "Gimme Shelter," which is also the name of this 1970 documentary about The Rolling Stones, focusing on one particularly infamous concert they performed in 1969.

Gimme Shelter is one of the few concert movies that could be described as nightmarish , because even if you enjoy some of the music on offer, the stark presentation of a tragic event is ultimately what's most memorable. It's an intense watch that's probably not for everyone, but it certainly stands as one of the most distinct - and harrowing - music documentaries of all time .

Watch on Max

26 'Man on Wire' (2008)

Director: james marsh.

Somehow functioning as both a documentary and a heist movie at the same time, Man on Wire tells a wild true story that was also adapted into a feature film with 2015's The Walk . It's about daredevil/tightrope walker Philippe Petit , and the way he managed to execute a stunt in 1974 that involved walking between the two towers of the World Trade Center, which had then only recently been built.

Man on Wire 's pacing makes it feel more dynamic and thrilling than many other documentaries out there , and some of the footage/photographs captured prove awe-inspiring to look at. It's artistically presented and genuinely exciting, serving as both a psychological exploration of a rather unique man while also celebrating the absolutely wild feat he managed to pull off.

Man on Wire

Watch on Hulu

25 'Grey Gardens' (1975)

Directors: david maysles, albert maysles, ellen hovde, muffie meyer.

For better or worse, Grey Gardens feels like a proto-reality TV show, arguably leading the way for the genre to exist in all its wild , uncomfortable, and sometimes exploitative glory. This is because Grey Gardens simply observes two real-life people who live strange lives, and may or may not be exaggerating their odd behavior because cameras are present.

The two women at the center of Grey Gardens are relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis , and they live in a large yet rundown house, and have very isolated lives. It's an unsettling and uncomfortable film that blurs the line between documentary and drama , but ultimately one that's proven influential within the genre, and a somewhat haunting watch that has resonated with many viewers since its 1975 release.

24 'They Shall Not Grow Old' (2018)

Director: peter jackson.

There have been many great films about the First World War , and among them would have to be They Shall Not Grow Old . It was released on the 100th anniversary of the conflict's end, and uses colorized and meticulously restored footage to depict the harrowing experience of trench warfare in a way that's never been shown before in previous WW1 documentaries.

It was an ambitious project directed by Peter Jackson , and though getting the footage to look so striking would have taken a great deal of work, the results speak for themselves. They Shall Not Grow Old isn't an easy watch, but it is an essential one , and recontextualizes a century-old conflict by presenting an emotional and intimately personal look at the horrors of war.

23 'Life of Crime: 1984-2020' (2021)

Director: jon alpert.

Life of Crime: 1984-2020 may have a bit of a clunky title, but as a film, it's anything but clunky. It's the third and final installment in a series of documentaries that follow several individuals who engage in petty crime and/or struggle with drug addictions, with it all being filmed in an uncompromising and very raw fashion.

This 2021 film spends one hour recapping the first and second documentaries in the series (which covered the 1980s and 1990s respectively) before moving on to what happened to the subjects at its center in the 21st century. Life of Crime: 1984-2020 sheds light on a group of people who've seemingly been forgotten by society, showing their flaws while also being empathetic. It's devastating, proving hard to watch, and maybe even harder to forget.

22 'The Act of Killing' (2012)

Director: joshua oppenheimer.

Though The Act of Killing isn't a horror movie by any means, it feels more brutal and terrifying than most could ever hope to be. It covers a difficult subject in a unique yet stomach-churning way, focusing on the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966 which saw somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million people being killed (mostly people associated with communism, or believed to be).

It follows various people who participated in these killings more than 40 years on from the events, with the filmmakers getting these individuals to recreate what they did through the guise of "making a film" in the hope they'll realize the brutality of their past actions. The Act of Killing is a daunting look at the dark side of human nature , as well as a terrible period in history that's still in living memory for many people living today.

The Act of Killing

A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.

Watch on Peacock

21 'The Thin Blue Line' (1988)

Director: errol morris.

The true crime genre has experienced a boom in the last five to 10 years, and on a streaming service like Netflix in particular, it seems difficult to avoid documentaries about crime. Many documentaries that are definable as true-crime owe a great deal to 1988's The Thin Blue Line , which was revolutionary for documentary filmmaking as a whole.

It follows the investigation surrounding the murder of a police officer in Dallas, criticizing certain aspects of how it was done, and arguing that the primary suspect might not have been as guilty as detectives believed. The Thin Blue Line was influential enough to impact criminal proceedings, ultimately highlighting how powerful a well-argued and intelligently presented documentary can be.

20 'Harlan County, USA' (1976)

Director: barbara kopple.

While Harlan County, USA may be almost 50 years old, it remains relevant, and will continue to feel vital for as long as workers don't feel fairly compensated for their work. It focuses on a specific 1973 strike in Harlan County, but the ideas and struggles explored here are relevant to various industries and groups of workers.

The "USA" part of the title could be referring to Harlan County, or it could be read as emphasizing that the sort of conflict here is something felt throughout the USA, back in the 1970s and to this day, too, with the recent Writer's Guild of America strike . The presentation in Harlan County, USA is simple, no-nonsense, and ultimately persuasive, ensuring it stands as a classic - and essential - work of documentary filmmaking.

19 'The Times of Harvey Milk' (1984)

Director: rob epstein.

Biographical stories can often be told more powerfully through documentaries than in traditional feature films (though the former isn't likely to earn as many Oscar nominations as the latter). This is demonstrated by 1984's The Times of Harvey Milk , because while the 2008 film Milk covers similar ground and is compelling, seeing it play out in a documentary is even more powerful.

As the title implies, this documentary covers the life and career of Harvey Milk - both cut tragically short by his assassination in 1978. The Times of Harvey Milk aims to celebrate what he accomplished for gay rights in America while mourning his untimely passing , and serves as an emotional and extremely well-presented look at Milk and his life.

18 'Free Solo' (2018)

Directors: jimmy chin, elizabeth chai vasarhelyi.

Viewers with acrophobia should stay well away from Free Solo , because it can be genuinely hard to watch for anyone who has even a slight fear of heights. It follows Alex Honnold as he attempts to climb a 3000-foot-high rock face by himself, and without the safeguards of ropes or safety gear.

As far as "man versus nature" documentary movies go, this is easily one of the greatest of all time, and in a way, ends up being more heart-racing than the vast majority of blockbuster thrillers out there (even the great ones). As far as adrenaline-rush documentaries go, few can compete with what Free Solo pulls off.

Alex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.

Watch on Disney+

17 'American Movie' (1999)

Director: chris smith.

A heartwarming and funny documentary , American Movie is one of the essential documentaries about the filmmaking process of the last few decades . It centers on independent filmmaker Mark Borchardt and his attempts to complete his movie, an unusual horror film about addiction and demonic cults called Coven .

It's one of those films that's likely to hit home for anyone who's undertaken a daunting creative project before, or even those who've ever dreamed of fulfilling their creative desires. It celebrates art - no matter the budget or the technical qualities - and even for non-creatives, is likely to provide plenty of entertainment value thanks to its humor and down-to-earth charms.

Rent on Apple TV

16 'Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse' (1991)

Directors: eleanor coppola, fax bahr, george hickenlooper.

While American Movie shows the struggles of independent filmmaking, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse - released at the other end of the 1990s - looks at the struggles of big-budget filmmaking. It follows the infamous production of Apocalypse Now , a film that ended up being a classic, but was plagued with just about every problem under the sun before release.

For as harrowing as the psychologically tense and violent war film is, Hearts of Darkness makes the fight to get the film made look equally brutal and mentally devastating . Francis Ford Coppola and the rest of the cast and crew went to hell and back to make one of the greatest films of the 1970s, and this documentary captures that nightmarish production in stark, eye-opening detail.

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse

15 'the beaches of agnès' (2008), director: agnès varda.

Agnès Varda was one of the greatest and most creative French filmmakers of all time. She was known for both her feature films and her documentary work, and while titles like Cléo from 5 to 7 and Vagabond are her best-known when it comes to the former, 2008's The Beaches of Agnès is probably her greatest achievement for the latter.

It plays out like a visual autobiography, with Varda reflecting on her youth, her filmmaking career, and her relationship with fellow French filmmaker Jacques Demy . The Beaches of Agnès is touching, entertaining, visually dazzling, and thought-provoking , all thanks to Varda's unique outlook on life, and could serve as a good introduction to the filmmaker's immense body of work.

14 'Man with a Movie Camera' (1929)

Director: dziga vertov.

Without Man with a Movie Camera , the entire documentary format may look entirely different today. It's likely one of the most important and influential documentaries of all time, using inventive visuals and creative editing techniques to show how life was in the Soviet Union during the 1920s.

Beyond that premise, there isn't really a whole to this silent film. Yet the style is what makes it dazzling and engaging to this day, and even if it doesn't grab all modern viewers, surely everyone can recognize its significance for the documentary format as a whole. At only 68 minutes long, documentary fans don't exactly have an excuse not to at least give it a shot.

Watch on Vudu

13 'Woodstock' (1970)

Director: michael wadleigh.

Woodstock is far from the only iconic concert film (more on those below), but it covers what many would argue was the most significant live music event of all time. That was 1969's Woodstock Music & Art Festival, an event that went for three days, saw 32 different musical acts perform, and was attended by more than 400,000 people.

A huge film is needed to capture such a large-scale event, and Woodstock is more than up to the task. The theatrical cut runs for over three hours, and a director's cut runs for almost four, with it capturing some iconic live music (including performances by Jimi Hendrix , Janis Joplin , and The Who ) as well as documenting what the festival was like for those attending, and the ways organizers dealt with certain issues that came about while the festival was underway.

12 'Stop Making Sense' (1984)

Director: jonathan demme.

Stop Making Sense isn't just one of the best films of 1984 ; it's right up there as one of the best concert films of all time. It documents new wave band Talking Heads at their creative and commercial peak, going through an excellent tracklist over 88 glorious, upbeat, entertaining minutes.

There isn't much of a message or story here, of course, but the way it's shot, edited, and paced is certainly more intricate than most concert films. Stop Making Sense is the gold standard for how music documentaries about concerts should look and feel , and an essential watch, regardless of whether you're a big Talking Heads fan.

Watch in Cinemas

11 'Paris Is Burning' (1990)

Director: jennie livingston.

Despite only running for about 70 minutes, Paris Is Burning covers many years, focusing on the New York drag scene throughout much of the 1980s. It looks at a subculture that was likely underground and unseen for many people during that time, and gives those who belong to it a chance in the spotlight.

Paris Is Burning holds up as one of the most important documentaries of the 1990s, and one that is still relevant today , even if these sorts of subcultures are a little more well-known today. It shows the power that documentary films have when it comes to raising awareness for different people and groups, and for doing so here with an LGBTQ subculture, Paris Is Burning is a landmark.

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Times Insider

A Photographer’s Deep Dive Into Murky Waters

Michael Turek recently descended 20 feet beneath the waves off New York’s coast to photograph divers who brave the green-tinged waters.

Harris Moore, a diving instructor, at Ponquogue Bridge in Hampton Bays, N.Y. Credit... Michael Turek for The New York Times

Supported by

By John Otis

• Aug. 21, 2024

When most photographers head out into the field, they pack the essentials: camera lenses, external hard drives, battery chargers, a portable light source.

But for a recent New York Times assignment, Michael Turek, a Brooklyn-based freelance photographer, needed some unusual equipment: an oxygen tank, a diving mask and swim fins.

Wearing a rented wetsuit, Mr. Turek made several trips to Far Rockaway, Queens, this summer. While a man in full scuba regalia might turn heads in Manhattan, he is not out of place near Beach Eighth Street, a small dive site off the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare. The waters in this area draw the city’s scuba enthusiasts. And Mr. Turek, a documentary photographer with a scuba diving certification , was there to capture images of those who brave the murky waters.

His photographs of divers in the Rockaways and other waters around New York City, along with accompanying text by the freelance writer Arielle Domb, were published in The Times last week.

The photo essay was months in the making, but the idea for it came to Ms. Domb about a year ago. After the Titan submersible imploded in June 2023, Ms. Domb, who enjoys writing about subcultures, began researching diving communities, and was surprised to learn that New York City had a robust one.

Many divers in the New York region enjoy the aquatic life; others are drawn to shipwrecks, collateral from hundreds of years of maritime traffic, some at depths that humans can reach. (By some estimates, there are as many as 5,000 shipwrecks scattered in “Wreck Valley,” a triangle of water between the Jersey Shore and Long Island.)

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International Consultant for Developing Documentary for the UXO programme, UNDP

Procurement process.

IC - Individual contractor

UNDP-LAO - LAO PDR

02-Sep-24 @ 12:59 PM (New York time)

Published on

20-Aug-24 @ 12:00 AM (New York time)

Reference Number

UNDP-LAO-00377

Kongthanou Khanthavixay - [email protected]

Introduction

Country: Vientiane Capital with some travel to Bolikhamxay or Vientiane Province, Laos. 

Description of the Assignment: 

Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) for Lao PDR (2022 – 2026) , UNDP in Lao PDR works closely with the line Ministries, mass organizations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector at both national and international levels in pursuit of the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP’s work is strongly focused on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR in the design and implementation of national legislation and strategies across four broad Priority Pillars – (1) inclusive growth and reduced inequalities, (2) UXO clearance and risk education, (3) natural resources, climate change and disaster risk reduction, as well as (4) effective, responsive, and accountable governance.  

UNDP has a long history working in Lao PDR. UNDP’s comparative advantage has been its ability to work closely with a very broad range of government and local-level institutions at all levels. The new UNDP country programme is aligned with the 9th NSEDP and is anchored in UNDP’s long-term partnership with the Government of more than three decades. The new programme builds on the achievements of the previous CPD that saw the incorporation of the SDGs into the national planning architecture. It will aim to support Lao PDR recovery from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its transition from LDC status, with a particular emphasis on supporting inclusive growth and reducing inequality. 

UNDP Lao PDR, UXO Unit: 

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world. More than forty years after the end of the 1964-1973 Indochina Conflict, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) remains a major humanitarian and socioeconomic challenge to the country, causing deaths and injuries, limiting access to potentially productive land, and adding substantial costs to processes of development. The Government of Lao PDR has been active in the clearance process since shortly after the conflict. Lao PDR has advocated for the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and hosted the first Meeting of States Parties in 2010. It also embraced the UXO issue as a key development matter by locally establishing the Sustainable Development Goal 18 (SDG18), “Lives Safe from UXO”. 

The National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector in the Lao PDR 2021 - 2030, “The Safe Path Forward III” (SPFIII), which was endorsed by the Government of Lao PDR in July 2022, details the objectives of the Government and its development partners over the forthcoming period where the aim is to reduce the humanitarian and socio-economic threats posed by UXO. The plan's focus is ensuring strong integration with development mechanisms, particularly at a provincial level, and actions are focused on community-level priorities for facilitation of development.

UNDP support to the UXO sector in Lao PDR has focused in two axes, notably: 1) support to strengthening the capacity and technical competency of the National Regulatory Authority, to be able to oversee and steer the sector in pursuance of national strategic goals and obtaining Lao PDR’s unique UXO Action Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 18: Lives Safe from UXO. 2) To provide capacity support for survey and clearance, through support to UXO Lao and the Humanitarian teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58), thus hastening progress towards clearance in impacted communities.  

Video and Photography design for the UNDP UXO programme : Under the supervision of the Head of the UXO Unit, the consultant will be responsible for creating a high-quality five -minutes documentary video and a photo essay. These will depict the accomplishments of the Humanitarian Demining Teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58) in UXO survey, clearance, and risk education in Bolikhamxay or Vientiane province, and the National Regulatory Authority (NRA)’s coordination and leadership role in the sector.      

Scope of Works

The successful applicant will be expected to be responsible for the following:

• Produce a high-quality five-minute documentary video (English and Lao) showcasing accomplishments and raising awareness of Lao national, Unit 58’s, capacity to manage residual contamination in Lao PDR.  
• Create a teaser for the documentary video to be used for Social Media use (English and Lao).
• Produce a high-quality photo essay (800-1,000 words)   revealing the daily lives of UXO-affected communities and highlighting the importance of long-term residual capacity for UXO clearance in English language.

Task 1: Produce a quality five-minute documentary video

• The consultant shall produce a quality five-minute documentary video that highlights the accomplishments of Unit 58 (Lao national humanitarian army) and NRA (National Regulatory Authority) relatable for international and national audience.
• The video must be developed in Lao language for Lao audiences, but another version should include English subtitles so that the video can be shared with the international development partners of the UXO sector.
• Videography must be submitted with a 30 second teaser for Social Media use (English and Lao).
• Videography must be high-quality and suitable for broadcasting and publishing on the web.
• Videography must be designed as an asset, which UNDP could repurpose and redistribute in the future.

Task 2: Provide one photo essay revealing the daily lives of UXO-affected communities

• The consultant shall produce one high-quality photo essay in English language to form a visual storytelling about the daily lives of UXO affected communities in Bolikhamxay or Vientiane province.  
• One photo essay in English language.  
• Provide 100 high-quality photos.  
• Photographs must be provided in high quality and suitable for printing, processing, broadcasting, and publishing on the web.
• Photography must be designed as an asset, which the UNDP could repurpose and redistribute in the future.
• Image acquisition includes reproduction rights for non-exclusive world rights in perpetuity.
• Before the Consultant moves any photo on the wire or uploads it to an online Image database as a photo essay or extended photo caption story, he/she should contact UNDP to obtain consent.
• UNDP can provide the image(s) and video(s) to other UN organizations or the media at no cost, as is the practice.

Period of assignment/services : 30 working days. 

Proposal should be submitted directly in the portal no later than indicated deadline.

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing via messaging functionality in the portal. UNDP will respond in writing including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry.

Please indicate whether you intend to submit a bid by creating a draft response without submitting directly in the system. This will enable the system to send notifications in case of amendments of the tender requirements. Should you require further clarifications, kindly communicate using the messaging functionality in the system. Offers must be submitted directly in the system following this link: http://supplier.quantum.partneragencies.org  using the profile you may have in the portal. In case you have never registered before, you can register a profile using the registration link shared via the procurement notice and following the instructions in guides available in UNDP website: https://www.undp.org/procurement/business/resources-for-bidders .  Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from previous registration.

Documents :