Differences between photography as a documents and social documentary

Differences between photography as a documents and social documentary
Documentary photography and social documentary have been often confused to mean one and the same thing. However, it is quite evident there exists a clear difference between the two. To start with, documentary photography first and foremost is seen as a very wide in its applicability. One of the core attributes of documentary photography is based on historical events and features. Theist type of photography is made as interesting as possible to unlike other forms of photography The target user should be able to get appealed to the photograph because that is the only way that he or she will want to dig deeper and get the message carried in the photograph. .
Photography as a document is also a very central aspect of history and it helps the people who did not live in these days to have a clear analytical picture of the whole issue. For instance, those photographs which were documented during the great depression period such as the one below is a good example of documentary photograph. The picture itself carries a very important information which could not be unveiled were it not for the photographs which were taken dating this time. The magnitude of peoples suffering as a result of malnutrition resulting from the effects of great depression which hit country is quite clear in this photograph
Great depression has been one of the great historic features and the country and a photograph like this will help a lot in shaping the historic moments of the nation. The leaders of the day might have tried as much as possible to try and defend their position a far as their responsibility and the intensity of crisis but this photograph will unveil some of the hidden issues as far as the magnitude of the peoples’ sufferings during that time(Time -Life Books 1972,p. 65). This serves well the purpose of documentary photography which is to unveil what is hidden from the public eye
Documentary photography as we have earlier stated forms a very critical in forming history of moment. This is one fthe attributes which makes documentary photography stand out from the rest of other types of photography including social photography. Thought documentary photography, human living conditions have been improved world over. For instance, Riis’s documentary photography was very devoted in changing the human living conditions which the poor within the society were subjected to despite living in rapidly expanding industrial centers. He managed do so through accurately embedding photography in the urban reform movements and through that managed to sensitize the people on the need to come to brigade though social economic (Time -Life Books 1972, p. 45)
Documentary photography also refers to the popular form if photography which is used to document historical events and which have got a chronically significance. This is mainly covered in the filed of professional photo journalism. However, this form of photography may also done as an armature, academic pursuit or artistic. This case, the aim of the photographer is to produce and objective, truthful and a very candid photography of a particular subject. Photography a document in most cases covers pictures of people.
Photography as a document is mainly aimed at unveiling those events which could otherwise not be brought into the attention o the public through the normal photography. This means that they describe an otherwise unknown or hidden or even things that are in places which are very difficult to access. Documentary photography has however witnessed some changes as the world of technology
Social documentary photography
Social documentary photography on the other hand may be defined as that act of recording by the use of camera human beings in their natural conditions. This is derived form the context of the word social which implies the day to day interaction patterns of people. This form of photography is very attractive to many people especially owing to the fact that it is a genre which deals with reality and it reveals every aspect of human nature. The social documentary photographers ensure that the old happenings of cannot be taken for granted since their have a key role to play in shaping the current history a much as they tray as much as possible to incorporate it with what is happening in the happening around us in our day to day life.
Therefore as earlier stated, social documentary photography as opposed to photography as a document mainly features those issues affecting the life of people at the moment and which can be addressed to make a positive change in their live. For instance, some of the issues that many social documentary photographers have given is the issue of drug abuse which apparently has affected many people.
Important to note is that the social documentary photography does not have to necessary picture on events which carry negative impact on the society. Social documentary photography has also been featuring various social events which carry significant memory to the certain people or the society at large.
Therefore, unlike the documentary photography which features historic events, the social documentary photography addresses the current issues and this acts as one of the main differences between the two forms of photography
However, one thing which we should appreciate between the two types of photography is that they are indented to pass across certain message whether present of past. Social documentary h[photography therefore appear to be more inclined on dealing with social issues which have an impact on the society and therefore act as way of voicing out concerns. for instance, a documentary photography on drug abuse would be aimed at sensitizing the society at large to take measures to contain the menace before it gets out of hand (Burchett 2010, p. 34)
The social documentary photography on adolescence in some countries such as United States of America is also a way airing the voice for the poor in the society who cannot afford to own homes. The pictures below are an example of asocial documentary photography. This picture is speaks it all as far as the destitute conditions homeless people.
Most of the documentary photography carries with it a message aimed at changing the inhuman conditions under which some of the people within the society live under. Therefore, this type of photography has been seen as a voice of the voiceless and through it, the right message has been passed to the right people. Still referring to the photograph below, it is quite evident that the message on the magnitude of the suffering o the people as a result of the depression is driven home to the concerned parties (Burchett 2010, p. 34)

References
Burchett, S ,2010.,A study of social documentary photography, Archival material
Kallen, S, 2003, photograph, Detroit: Thomson gale.
Stephen, B, 2010, Photography , London: New York: Routledge
Time -Life Books,1972, Documentary Photography. New York. Time –Life Books