Photography

From its beginnings in the 19th century, photography was hailed as a recording device of great clarity and accuracy. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was increasingly used to convey the realities of life in the industrialised metropolis. In the US, Lewis Hine, for example, used photography as a tool to describe social conditions and effect social change.

In Australia, documentary photography has likewise been used to describe the diversity of life in cities, suburbs and rural areas. David Moore walked the streets of Sydney in the 1940s and 50s looking for scenes that might tell stories about hardship and social change in Australia. Hal Missingham, on the other hand, documented surf culture, revealing the prevailing masculine and feminine roles that shaped activities in the outdoors. Often featuring herself, her close friends and family, Sue Ford’s photographs are collaborative images forming series that document the passing of time and its effects on her subjects.

Mervyn Bishop began as a photo-journalist, where the emphasis is on news and fast reporting. His photographs chronicled significant events of the day in legible, dynamic and objective ways. As press photographer for the Sydney Morning Herald, Bishop captured his subjects with candid directness. His later work with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in Canberra allowed him to document more fully social conditions and political events.

William Yang considers himself a ‘documentarian, a diarist mainly’. He draws his subject matter from his personal life and experiences, and his photographs tell stories about his childhood, family history, friendships and the impact of HIV/AIDS and death. Yang’s documentary-style evokes the web of social and emotional connections that bind people together across times and places.

Capture the people and events, the actions and interactions that occur. How would you use photography to create a story or narrative? In class, discuss photography’s role in documenting the passing of time.

Base a case study on one of the works listed here. Carefully consider the photographer’s approach and the way they have captured the subject in a photo-documentary style. How has this study impacted on your art practice?

Where does photo-documentary exist today? Collect examples of current images that convey realities of life. Compare these with the photographs in this section.

Discuss how the artists listed here have explored particular social or political issues. Compare their approaches. Which image do you prefer, and why?

Stories can be told more powerfully through photography than words

Debate this in class, referencing examples from the list here.