The Document
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Important images/notes referenced include:
Documentary style images dominate photography.
It instantaneously captures the world around us and covers a wide variety of topics and ongoing events - there is no unifying definition. It signifies evidence (although this can be argued at times) and documents the world at a certain point in time. It instigates social change and becomes our history, our only knowledge.
Joseph Nicephore (1826) 'View from a window at La Gras'
Nicephore took what is believed to be the world's first photograph. This is his earliest surviving photograph of a scene from nature taken with a camera obscura.
James Nachtwey (2000) Palestine - War photographer
He photographed events such as the one above in order to negotiate for peace. He believed photography was the opposite to war and as everyone cannot be there to witness, he took it upon himself to document the conflicts. He wanted to persuade to benefit humanity - an involvement in society by taking a stance.
William Edward Kilburn (1848) The Great Chartist Meeting at the Common
In this case, the photographer is not involved and is instead, stood far away as to not alter or change that specific moment in time - this therefore adds a sense of authenticity.
Henri Cartier Bresson (1932)
The decisive moment: "Photgraphy achieves its highest distinction - reflecting the universality of the human condition in a never-to-be-retrieved fraction of a second". He carefully composed his photographs and would sometimes wait hours upon hours to caputre the aforementioned, 'decisive moment'.
Jacob Riis (1888) 'Bandits Roost'
He was a social campaigner in New York who took photographs of the poor to feed the morbid curiosity of the rich - allowing them to 'spy'. It therefore became more and more popular with the rich as their curiosity grew yet it was not a true depiction of life but instead is their projection of life - their poses are forced and they are looking directly in the camera.
F.S.A Photographers (1935 - 44) Farm Security Adminstration
During the depression, 11 million people were unemployed. These photographers were employed by the government and were asked to document the plight of migrant workers by using the photographs as photojournalism and as an emotive lobbying tool. However, they were given a shooting script and were instructed exactly what to photograph - this process was highly controversial.
Margaret Bourke-White (1937) 'Sharecroppers Home'
An image of a boy and his dog is iconic, emotive and sentimental which is exactly why a boy and a dog are acting as the subjects in this particular photograph. Although it may seem natural, it is staged. The surrounding advertisements connote commercialism and the comparison between the rich and the poor.
Dorothea Lange (1936) 'Migrant Mother'
This was known to be the image of the great depression. It portrays the emotional struggle of a mother and has immense symbolism to Raphael's, 'Madonna & Child'. The photographer arranged her subjects like actors.
Roberte Haeberle (1969) Vietnam
Haeberle intersected the last point of these peoples lives, by asking the American Soldiers who were about to shoot this Vietnamese family to stop in order to give him enough time to take a photograph. This was highly criticised due to its moral questioning.
