Documentary Photography

In this article, one is intorduced to the evolution of photography, but more specifically; this article focuses on the difference between document and picture photography.  Steve Edwards believes that the idea of documenting versus pictures began in Northern Europe toward the beginning of the Renaissance, later developping even more at the opening of L’Academie Francaise and the English Academy. Photographic documents were thought upon differently based on the people and perhaps one’s occupation, but many believed it was a success due to the exact documentation of details and the small amount of time it took to produce an image.  Based on the time, document photography carried a different meaning or had a different prupose. For example, between the two World Wars  the documenting photographs were considered symbolic to poems. However, throughout the years documentary photos have been critisized but there still remain several agencies committed to this type of documentation.

This article is very interesting, I personally have always been intrigued by photographs that document the history of the world. I have always viewed photography as documenting the special moments in one’s life, leaving behind something for younger generations to grasp onto, but this type of documentation is more specific. This records certain struggles and victories with the hope of passing on knowledge and lessons to others. The photographer attempts to produce truthful, objective, and usually candid photography of a particular subject, most often pictures of people.