Documentary photography is, by definition, the origin of all photographic movements. Photographers in the nineteenth century attempted to create documents of their reality: straightforward images of the people, places, and things that existed all around them. Since then, Documentary photography has... [more]

Documentary photography is, by definition, the origin of all photographic movements. Photographers in the nineteenth century attempted to create documents of their reality: straightforward images of the people, places, and things that existed all around them. Since then, Documentary photography has evolved to include a range of styles and subjects, from images of people on the streets, inside their homes, and within specific environments, to images of animals in their natural habitats, and photos of historical events. Documentary photography is a broad category that has the power to touch viewers by allowing them to find links of similarity between their lives and the lives of others, and by awakening them to realities they might not otherwise have known. While Documentary photography lacks the precise calculation that frequently renders other art less accessible to the average eye, it does reflect the photographer's interpretation. What a successful Documentary photograph necessarily possesses therefore, is a certain nuance that draws our interest and that captures our attention. Perhaps it is the angle of the camera, the point of view from which the shot is taken, or the lighting in which the image is shot. These are all factors that can create either an emotionally distancing picture or one with a more sympathetic tone. From the images of New York in Weegee's "The Naked City" to Walker Evans' more provincial subject matter, from National Geographic to war photography, Documentary photography reaches beyond the two-dimensional surface to create connections between extremely disparate worlds. [show less]