In this book, one of the first encountered problems is how to effectively describe what Documentary photography is. We can essentially call all forms of photography – documentary, as we are capturing and documenting every single image we take. However it is more commonly used to describe photography which shows an event or the effects an event has on the environment or, most commonly, the human race. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact characteristics of a documentary photograph, as it’s not a linear genre.
Documentary images can be largely seen as unethical, or potentially untrue. A photo only holds certain story, and the context outside the frame of the camera could be entirely different than the picture itself. Most photographers would say that in order to maintain their integrity, they only photograph what they see. Not changing or manipulating anything in the frame. However, as previously said, the frame of the image doesn’t always contain the whole story. It could also be seen as difficult to accurately portray a scene, when you are considered an ‘outsider’. Natan Dvir says “There is an unsigned contract with the subject[s] that I will respect the essence of their experience. I want to be true to the truth of what I have experience, interacting with the world with a degree of integrity, trying to understand the culture and people and how the situation, the conflict, impacts human beings”. Dvir said this after having lived and worked in Israel most of his life, when it came to photographing a large Arab minority, he struggled to feel like he had represented them in the truest way, as he wasn’t all that familiar with their faith.
I think using photography as activism is a great way to gain recognition on certain subjects. I believe that photographs can definitely make people feel a lot more than words can. If you can physically see the impact that issues are having on people, you feel instantly more compelled to help in some way. Although this would be beneficial to certain activist campaigns, there is always an underlying thought, in my mind as photographer, that it’s possible we might not be seeing the whole truth.
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