Documentary Photography Intro

WHAT IS DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY? WHAT IS ITS INTENT AND PURPOSE? HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM OTHER TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHY? HOW CAN PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE THE PUBLIC’S ATTENTION? Documentary photography is linked to reportage and photojournalism. However, not all photos have to be newsworthy. At times, the subject matter may not be aesthetic.

Documentary photography creates a record of life, conditions & history in the places they visit and work.

Documentary photography is typically project based where a series of images over a time period are taken to document a subject. The photographs are usually connected to tell a story and based on a focused theme. Some have different intents, such as political overtones, or wish to apply pressure for change. Most meaningful images can only be made through close engagement and understanding of the subject. This level of engagement is what leads some to challenge documentary photography’s objectivity.

Photojournalism has been around since the 1920s as it became technically possible to reproduce photographs in newspapers and magazines. As Photos are also great communicators, photo based newspapers and magazines enjoyed a boom in the 1920s and 1930s as well.

Photographers were employed by newspapers to cover events or “hard news.” Over time, photojournalism developed and began to be taught at colleges and universities to involve influences such as economics, history, language and politics. It also now involves the fine art world as we can find social documentary reporting in books and gallery exhibitions.

THE PHOTO ESSAY A photojournalist can be thought of as a news reporter. A photojournalist may sum up a story in one compelling image. A documentary photographer will produce a series of connected images based on a theme, that tell a story. As opposed to news coverage, it may require many weeks (or more) of preparation and photography to complete.

The photo essay has a structure. It needs to establish the subject, expand on the theme, explore aspects in detail and come to a conclusion. The sequence of images may not be in the actual order that they were taken. The images should include: •A wide establishing shot •Close ups of activity •A Decisive event or moment •Portraits (head-shots) •A concluding image

Documentary Photography Documentary photography was usually outsiders looking in, but increasingly people are examining their own lives and cultures. The democratisation of photography allows more of us to participate than ever before.

HOW TO DEVELOP A VIEW Everyone can lift their camera to their eye and take a picture, but you may not effectively capture what you see. Some planning is involved. You should have some sense about the subject and know what it is what you want to say photographically.

You need to explore your subject. This begins and continues with both eye and camera, looking for angles, viewpoints & how the subject relates to the background.

Select the important aspects of the subject using techniques such as selective focusing and depth of field. Organise yourself to choose the frame and compose the arrangement of elements within the frame. Keep an eye out for repetition, emotion, juxtaposition, colour and light. The list can go on and you may wish to further explore this independently.

DEVELOPING A PHOTOGRAPHER’S EYE When does a good photo become truly great? What qualities help transform a photo to make you pay attention to it and look more closely? Unfortunately, there is no magic formula, or we’d all be shooting great photos all the time.

However, there a number of cues we can follow.

We can analyse what makes a great photo. We can consider what the photographer has done to make an image excel. Photographers may often consider “Why am I going to take this photo?”

It may be something as simple as to record places you have been on holiday. The skilled image creator may be less interested in recording the scene and is instead, looking for a new angle. What other questions might we ask?

Some considerations to keep in mind are weather and light, focus, shutter speed, composition and perspective. There are more, but for the time being, simply focus on developing your critical eye as photography should be fun and enjoyable.

Developing this will take time.

Portraits should not be simple records of faces. Instead, they should capture the expressions that make a face become a person. Aim to shoot character, not a face.

The skill lies in shooting a portrait when the subject is at their most natural. For a character portrait, try to go further than creating a flattering likeness. Try to reveal something about them.

Some techniques could include: •Applying a close crop. This concentrates the viewer’s attention on the face.

•Manipulating perspective and angle. For example, shooting from a low angle implies dominance, a high angle for insignificance and eye level captures strong, personal eye contact.

•Eye contact. This provides a strong connection with the viewer and at times, can be unsettling. A subject looking off into the distance implies thought or a dreamer, whilst looking down implies introversion.

•Composition. You don’t always have to use the rule of thirds. Sometimes breaking the rules can also achieve a dramatic effect.

•Lighting. This can add mood and atmosphere to your work.

Travel How do we take a picture of a visited place to arouse an interest in the viewer and their curiosity? Try to gain local knowledge of the place you are visiting so you can be a guest instead of a visitor. Use short or wide angles as much as possible. Take photographs where no one else does (instead of those we always see on postcards). What story do you want your picture to tell?

WHAT TO PHOTOGRAPH? The documentary genre offers limitless possibilities of subject matter. These can range from the extremely emotional or exciting, all the way down to the monotony of household chores. Any subject can be rendered interesting provided you offer insightful, involving images.

Creating striking photos lies with you, the photographer. Any topic can be suitable as outlined in magazines such as Life and National Geographic. The only thing viewers expect is the truth. With any story, we wish to learn as much as we can about it. Who were the main players, the circumstances and the details?

Once you find your subject, your next step is to research it and where necessary, consult any specialists working in the field. When shooting pictures, keep in mind the story you wish to tell. You need pictures that set the scene, introduce the players and show how they live. Cover the wider view as well as close-ups for telling details. Try to take pictures that bring the wider view as well as the details together in an attractive and/or interesting composition.

You may include: -Urban views -Portraits -Candids -Leisure activities -The built environment -Industry -Street -Posed groups -Close-ups Have a look at Eugene W. Smith’s Life Magazine photo essay “Country Doctor” (http://life.time.com/history/lifeclassic-eugene-smiths-country-doctor/#1). His photo essay chronicles ‘the day-to-day challenges faced by an indefatigable general practitioner.’ Note the placement of the camera; how it appears to be a character and how his angles evoke an emotional response.

THE CITIZEN JOURNALIST Technology and social demands are changing the role of the photographer. As news breaks, the general public is often asked to supply images.

These images are often captured on phones and basic cameras permitting the images to be uploaded and available on websites and television rather quickly. Often quality is of little importance and money rarely changes hands. In response, the professional photographer is compelled to cover the story from a different angle and look deeper.

IMAGE MANIPULATION Photoshop and other similar programs have produced a new set of ethical issues in the world of photojournalism. When does technical enhancement become misleading image manipulation? Usually photojournalists lose their jobs when tampering with this. Creativity on the camera is encouraged, but creating an image that may not have happened is another story.

CREATED BY FRANK CURKOVIC (FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY: BASICS PHOTOGRAPHY 01: COMPOSITION by David Prakal

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY by David Prakal

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

LENS ON LIFE: DOCUMENTING YOUR WORLD THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

by Stephanie Calabrese Roberts DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS by Tom Ang

Image Credits: All photos taken by Frank Curkovic Page 1 photo: Sapa, Vietnam Page 2 photo: Cairo, Egypt Page 3 photo: Kamakura, Japan Page 4 photo: Peggy’s Cove, Canada