I am currently researching for my essay based on documentary photography, the question I have to answer is:
‘There are very few contexts today where an image can use the visual language of documentary and reportage and not potentially lose its message. I think its almost impossible not to be circumvented by style.’ (Charlotte Cotton) what are the implications of this statement for a documentary or reportage photographer working today?
One of my sources is photographer Robert Frank, he produced his famous photographic book “The Americans” in 1958 and was awarded a grant to travel with his family across America to photograph its society and culture. Frank started out with an optimistic view on the country but he noticed flaws and soon became interested in capturing the tensions within these bleak and lonely places. His use of unusual focus, low lighting and cropping meant that his work received a lot of criticism.
“…But the quality of Robert Frank is a quality that has something to do with what he's doing, what his mind is. It's not balancing out the sky to the sand and so forth. It's got to do with intention.” Elliott Erwitt
I love Frank's style, it is extremely raw and very simple but each image has so much depth and meaning.
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