Documentary Photography Research Paper

Event photography has more requirements than other kinds of photographic duty assignment. The size of the event has the greatest impact on the job, and may demand one, two, or even an entire team of photographers especially when there are parallel activities to cover for one total event. As a customer, you do not want to compromise the quality of work the photographer can present, and you know you are in good hands if these five items are masterfully taken cared of:

Photography has come into existence due to the evolution of the renaissance craft, which often involved the artistic creation, and documentation of occasions, figures, and memories. Photography as a practice that consists of so many different styles and techniques that vary in regard to the school of photography being used. For example the Pictorialist thinks of photography as a type of fine art and therefore try to make it artistic by using pictures or visual images, which furthermore establishes their point that photography is an art or a form of fine art, on the other hand the Modernist has adapted to the modern techniques which has more focus on the sharp center of the image and using the camera as an instrument rather than seeing it as a canvass which is usually how pictorialists see it, and they also believe in creating very high quality images which

Photographs are also manifestations of time and records of experience. Consequently, writings on photographic theory are filled with references to representations of the past. Roland Barthes (1981, 76), for instance,

More than a century ago, Mark Twain penned a famous line neatly distilling the distinct cultures of three of the largest cities in the Northeastern United States. “In Boston they ask, ‘How much does he know?’ In New York, ‘How much is he worth?’ In Philadelphia, ‘Who are his parents?’.” Although these cities are hundreds of miles away from my focus, the fundamentals are parallel.

When you’re a photographer on a tight budget, creativity is essential. You can’t afford fancy flashes, or large soft boxes for your shoots. Instead, being a little imaginative and hoping it goes well is the best you can do.

At the dawn of the 21st century, digital cameras began shifting away from professional users and started trickling down into the consumer market, and as time passed, nearly everyone had a camera. Whether it was a simple point and shoot, or a higher end DSLR, people began obsessing over the convenience of these light, inexpensive cameras that took incredible shots, not to mention their ease of use. As these cameras became more accessible, many photographers with much less experience began flooding into the scene as well. These newbies were eagerly looking for work and were also willing to offer their services for a fraction of what the pros asked for in terms of pricing. So, people began steering away from the pricier market and began to adopt

Have you ever wanted the best picture ever? There are three different ways to get that lucky shot. All you must do is aim the camera. People can take photography shots in three defining ways which are close-up, distance, and motion shots.

Changing the look of a camera strap is a fun way to accessorize and show off personality. Getting a new look does not mean having to buy a new strap. By using an old belt, several swivel hooks, scissors and a sewing machine, the look of the previous strap can be completely changed.

In the world we live in today, anyone can pick up a handheld video camera and record their son’s soccer game or daughter’s school play, but to really capture the beauty of an event takes true talent. It takes the expertise of a cinematographer or director of photography as they are also known, to capture the true essence of an event and scene. Thomas Edison even once said, “By faithfully reproducing and kind or type of movement, it [cinematography] constitutes man’s most astonishing victory to date over forgetfulness. It retains and restores the things memory alone can’t recover, not to mention its auxiliary agencies: the written page, drawing photography. … Like them, cinematography prevents the things of yesterday that are useful to tomorrow’s progress from sinking into oblivion; amongst these one must count moving things, which only a few years ago were considered impossible to fix in an image” (Neale, 54). A picture, whether it be a photographed image or a filmed image is nothing when it has not been looked at with the proper eyes. When expressed through the proper lens and eye an image can really be worth a thousand words.

Another significant photography movement that definitely reveals its image and an artistic moment is Straight Photography. It is a style of art that “aims for excellence in photographic techniques independent of painting” (Martin and Jacobus 286); in other words, it concentrates on the reality of the world instead of using the realistic painting techniques as Pictorialists did. That means Straight Photography is a reaction that extremely against Pictorialism ideas; however, it still needs the subject matter as well. Also, the process of Straight Photography “[strives] to encourage photographers to experiment with the limits of the camera and developing the process to create abstract and unique photographs instead of manipulating the image

Photography is a field that is steeped in ambiguity, it is an art form, a form of evidence both in scientific and legal processes, it is used heavily in advertising and also in journalism. Photojournalism relies on the “truth claim” of photography, that if a subject was photographed it existed in that way. Yet the majority of a photographer’s photos do not make it into the display whether in a magazine or exhibit. While showing the entirety of the photographer’s series might be argued to have more truth since it removes some of the curatorial process, photography’s power is found in showing a specific scene. Freezing time in a key moment to convey the overall feeling is effective for conveying a message, one can be impacted by the photograph. However photographs cannot express the story they capture on their own. Whether they are displayed in magazines or exhibits, photographs are accompanied by text giving the context of the situation. In the exhibit “The Making of an Argument” Russell Lord focuses on Gordon Park’s first feature for Time magazine, “Harlem Gang Leader”, to deconstruct the process from the photographs to the resulting magazine article. Taking into account the selection of photographs to fit a narrative and the relationship between the captions and the photographs. Using this initial analysis as a base I will be analyzing the editing and manipulation of photographs in “Harlem Gang Leader” to analyze not only Time’s argument but Lord’s, to prove photographic

In the last decade computer technology has been introduced to photography yet again challenging the meaning

Social Media plays a big role in our world today and many carry some form of digital camera, Fred Ritchin mentions that we will see photography extended into an all-day strategy because of the devises we carry we tend to shoot pictures without considering whether it is a good or bad picture. Phones now equipped with features allowing a person to make changes to the image taken right on the spot would give the person access to completely change the image before they show it to the public. This would cause a problem to the public as well as a professional photographer as the originality of the picture would be lost.

Emphasized on a partial perspective of an actual event, many documentary filmmakers attempt to highlight a certain social aspect anticipating that their films can raise awareness among audiences and leave a lasting impression on society - an impression that is shaped by credible but limited facts. Viewers often watch documentaries in pursuit of truth and objectivity, but if they choose to watch documentaries, they inevitably have to look through rose colored glasses, seeing that not all sides of voices are offered or even weight equally. As opinion presenters and manipulators, directors are the ones who employ interviews, Mise en scene and the camera to create a different set of eyes for the public to investigate what the directors deem the world should be.

A. Write the names of all the photography and photography-related careers that you are aware of.