Documentary Photography

2021

For this project I had to write about what being a documentary photographer means to me in today’s digital world where everyone has the technology to make a photograph. I was asked to make a documentary style photograph and write why I believe the image I made would be considered documentary.

To me documentary photography is about capturing a moment in time. That moment could be emotional, it could be a memory, a story, or even an idea. It sometimes could also be about a connection whether that is a connection to history, a connection with the subject and photographer, or a connection that the viewer has with the photograph. I think that it also about authenticity meaning that the scene where the photograph is taken is not tamper with or arranged/staged in a certain way As a documentary photographer I think one should keep what they are documenting in its natural way, it is about showing life as it is being lived everyday. To be a documentary photographer I believe that you need to have a passion to record the moments that you experience and wish to save. Being a documentary photographer allows you to be a witness to what is going on in the world and it is one's job to document that history. It about not only capturing what is in the frame but also about what is on the outside.

 I decided to capture a lot that belongs to an auto body and paint shop that happens to be next to my apartment. Everyday as I walk to class I pass by this and notice how abandoned it looks. This photograph is about authenticity and how I did not change or stage anything in this lot. To me it is also about stories I think about how these cars got here and for how long have they been here because the cars have never moved from there spots over the two years that I've lived in this apartment. I believe that this photo is able to show the passage of time.