Explore Further

December 2004

A bimonthly e-newsletter for students in the College’s degree programs; participants in enrichment programs such as Great Conversations, Compleat Scholar, Split Rock Arts Program, or Curiosity Camp; and curious community members

Reality in focus

Each click of a shutter tells a different story, because photographers go about their work from varying points of reference with a distinct purpose to their work. Commercial photographers take photos that end up in ads, brochures, Web sites, and other formats for the purpose of selling or promoting. On the other hand, artist photographers express their creative vision through their photography, which requires a completely different mindset and ground rules.

Another type of photography that blends elements of journalistic photography and fine arts is documentary photography. This form, whose origins date back to the Civil War and has evolved over time, defies simple definition. The projects of a documentary photographer are typically long-term and in-depth forays into a particular subject. Often, this subject is a partisan political or social concern of the photographer. The example that most readily comes to mind for most people are the photos of the Great Depression during the 1930s.

“The interesting thing about the classic period of documentary photography in the 1930s,” said Diane Mullin, associate curator for the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum and instructor for Compleat Scholar’s upcoming documentary photography course, “is that the techniques are the same as art photography - the use of light, form, composition, and color or black and white - for dramatic effect even though the argument was being made that the documentary photograph was a direct impression of reality.”

For decades, this argument has opened up an ethical and philosophical can of worms. Are documentary photographers unbiased observers of reality or shapers and molders of opinion?

Mullin weighed in on the debate. “ believe that no creative act is without some bias - even the choice to be as detached as possible is ultimately a position taken. The classic era documentary photography generally tended to make the claim of being unbiased but seems so obviously biased now that the claim is no longer really tenable.”

Regardless of intent, it’s the photos themselves that ultimately hold court. They’re typically stark, powerful, and enticing - like great old family photos. The subject matter varies greatly in content and depth, from America’s westward expansion in the 1800s to the Great Depression to modern-day inner city life.

One of Mullin’s favorite photographers is Lewis Hine, who primarily photographed migrant workers and child laborers around the turn of the 20th century. “Hine did not think of himself as an artist, and he used the book form and new multi-media strategies (simple image projection and lecture) to disseminate what he saw as socially driven pictures. The works - especially coupled with the spare comments in the books - are extremely jarring and moving. I like that Hine does not hide his social agenda and that he very purposefully makes pictures that are meant to effect social change.”

View Explore Further Archive