Documentary photography in a school setting

Abstract

This is quite a broad subject to look at. Documentary obviously meaning to document something or somebody. In other words, it deals with the natural history of man. Archaeological, industrial, travel, social behaviour etc. So, then you should be able to call your holiday pictures documentary photographs. Well, it is not that simple. Documentary is basically split into two forms. The one being socially motivated and the other politically motivated. l We walk down crowded streets interacting with other human beings every day. So few of us however, take notice of the other nervous souls that share our habitat. No one sees the middle aged men and women who stand in the hot sun minding peoples cars for a few cents change. These are people who were earning full time salaries a few years ago. It may sound inappropriate to mention car watchers but, can you imagine doing their job for a week? No one takes notice of the haggard bundles of children flowering on sidewalks. No one sees the hunger and pain in their eyes. It is this that documentary photography tries to capture. Not only the pretty family portrait, but the emotion ofreallife!2 People are blind to the corruption flooding our political sphere. No one notices how the governing bodies that are suppose to be high ranking officials have their cell phones cut off. Why? They cannot pay their bills because, not even the government knows were they have disappeared to. Someone needs to make a statement. This is were the trusty Documentary photographer comes in. Always there to catch the unusual and the unwary who think they could get away with something on the sly.3 Millions of Rands in taxes disappear without trace while aged men and women stand for hours waiting for unsure pensions. The documentary photographer is there to capture the hope and despair on their faces. It is said that a picture is worth a thous na~~.~lSs n knows this as well as a documentary photogra iiMf- PROPERTY OF Photographic images have been altering people's minds and rearranging their lives for a long time. Photographs have a swifter impact than words. They share the power of images in general, which have always played havoc with the human mind and heart, and they have the added force of evident accuracy.