Assignment 102

102 - What is documentary Photography? By Anita Khemka

Documentary photography refers to the genre of photography used to chronicle significance and historical events, where the photographer attempts to produce a truthful and objective reality that has not been manipulated. 

Documentary photography follows a single topic or story in-depth over time, as opposed to photojournalism's real-time coverage of breaking news and events. By deepening our understanding and emotional connection to stories of injustice, documentary photography can capture and sustain public attention and mobilise people around pressing social and human rights issues. Effective Documentary photographers work to develop strong relationships with and gain the trust of the people they photograph. They build this trust over time- by establishing their intentions upfront, engaging repeatedly with people and communities, and being open to having their assumptions challenged. 

Such efforts enable Documentary photography to acquire more nuanced understanding of the issues they document, see past generalisations and stereotypes and become more sensitive to the cultural cultural and political contexts in which they work. 

the best photography represent people as a whole, avoid gratuitous and sensational imagery, and put safeguards in place to ensure that their Documentation does not jeopardise the safety and security of the people they photograph.

However, Documentary photography is a truth representing form sometimes leads to a controversial or misleading situation if the subject is manipulated. If this is done, does the image still remains as a documentary image? In order to explore this we explored the images by Arthur Rothstein's, 'feeling a dust storm' and image of the 'skull'

'Feeling a dust storm' - Arthur Rothstein

'The Skull' - Arthur Rothstein