Although deliberately set up, Salgado’s pieces with gas and fire make a statement in documentary photography. His representation of the idea is highly emphasized through the daily life of a fire fighter. Two men stand with hoses in their hands, unfazed by the immense fire that erupted. The point is to show that they deal with these fires regularly, so they can’t be phased. The purpose of documentary photography is to depict the daily lives of people with a bit of a dramatic flair for an intriguing photo. There is a clear dramatic effect implemented here, juxtaposing the calm and collect depiction of the fire fighters to the raging fire a mere feet away.
The fires were set deliberately. Not set up for documentary.