All of us aspire of taking photographs at some point in our lives, and have tried to take photographs of flowers, insects, birds, nature and people with our machines or phones.
How about taking pictures with a story?
I’m talking about documentary photography.
What is this documentary photography? What makes these photos different from the flower photos I took?
What is Documentary Photography?
Documentary photography is about observing and photographing people or animals or a past under very difficult conditions in their region or environment and telling these sometimes as scenarios and sometimes as stories. In order to do documentary photography, which is one of the most difficult branches of photography, it is absolutely necessary to have knowledge. Documentary photography techniques should be known and be prepared for the difficulties to be encountered in order to take a good photo. Documentary Photography, by observing and photographing people where they live, is to narrate the knowledge gained about that place or subject.
Documentary photography is one of the most difficult branches of photography as I said. In other photography branches, while studies for self-expression or visual aesthetics are carried out, in documentary photography, it aims to capture the reality in an impressive way, that is, to express and show the frame completely. Most of the time, you are unfamiliar with the region you are photographing, and with the different or expensive camera you have, you will immediately stand out in the community depending on the social structure of the environment, most of the time, they may even ask you why you took their photos. Most of the time, light and time are not on your side, too.
Three Techniques of Documentary Photography
Three techniques are generally used when shooting documentaries. These are;
– Unpanned Shooting (spontaneous)
– Planned Shooting
– Sudden Shooting (when faced with the subject or object)
Unplanned Shooting (Spontaneous)
Unplanned shots are very important when using documentary photography techniques. Unplanned shooting does not mean that the photographer takes every shot s/he sees. Here it is necessary to have knowledge of equipment and have thought over it.
The idea of obtaining images without holding the camera at the eye is the main feature of this type of unplanned (spontaneous) shots. Thus, it is not possible for the subject to understand that you are taking a photo. By holding the camera on your chest or buttocks, you do not reveal that you are taking the photo, and people do not suspect and you do not attract attention. Finding the right shot is crucial when shooting unplanned.
Another way to shoot without a plan is to expose according to the current conditions of the light without focusing the camera on the subject. If you do this using exposure lock, too, the exposure values will not change as you edit. Don’t forget to set the focus to the subject you want to capture, too. If you want to be guaranteed, you can also use the machine’s multi-frame feature.
Planned Shooting
The most common technique used for documentary photography is planned shots. The method here is to program a certain time period, unlike unplanned shooting, and just press the shutter as soon as the moment comes. You will have time to make all the preparations before taking your camera to your eyes for the photo to be taken in this type of shoot. It is very important to capture the right moment in planned shots.
You can discover the location to be shot in the planned nature frames, and you can adjust yourself according to the soft light and other conditions.
Sudden Shooting (when faced with the subject or object)
Considering the shooting difficulties of documentary photography, one of the first things that come to mind is the sudden shots. Sometimes you cannot hide the camera in your hand, suddenly you may be faced with what you want to shoot. People sometimes love to be photographed and even ask if you will take their photos or not. But a frame that looks interesting to you can often be out of these timings, and then you will have to move fast. Generally, the most beautiful poses come out with sudden shots, because the sudden shot adds a naturality to the photo. It is important to practice a lot to be prepared for sudden shots.
Documentary photography seems to be fun and easy from the outside, but when it comes to practice it, it becomes quite difficult. Documentary photography is not just about taking photographs, but also being able to present the photographs correctly and convey the information correctly is an important part of the job. How do these sound to you? I think I will stay on the side of amateurism ☺
Photography is an art, so let the artists do their jobs ☺
Nice days from me to you!
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