Documentary Photography

I chose Sebastião Salgado’s collection of Serra Pelada, Brazil in 1986 as an example of his contributions to documentary photography. This photograph depicts Brazilian minors as they climb up an incline of bare earth with just their strength and a rope ladder. This photograph is telling a story of the strenuous conditions Brazilian miners endured at this time. Salgado wanted to capture this harsh reality in the most raw and authentic way possible. Sebastião Salgado travels the world documenting black and white photographs that depict the stories of the poor and powerless. He chooses to focus on the “adverse results of globalization, and he explained that “each of my stories is about globalization and economic liberalization: a sample of the human condition on the planet today.” Salgado not only accurately represents the lives of these people in the rawest form, but he also has a deep love and respect for nature and the way in which socio-economic conditions impact societies which he documents in his photographs. 

Salgado, Sebastião. Serra Pelada, Brazil. Artsy, 1986. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/sebastiao-salgado-serra-pelada-brazil-2078

I chose Robert Capa’s collection of photographs documenting D-Day in Normandy, France in 1944. Robert Capa has made massive contributions to documentary photography due to the way he has captured and documented several wars, the most important being the Spanish Civil War, WWII, and D-Day. He risked his life so the soldiers could be remembered for their bravery and courage on the battlefield. Only the people fighting in the war know what it is actually like being in battle. Everyone knows that war is tragic and traumatizing to all involved, but the average person will never experience that intense fear. Robert Capa chose to be responsible for sharing and remembering their story by capturing these monumental moments. He did not stop for a second in regard to the safety of his own life and inspires war photographers to this day with his rule, “if your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” He captured these moments and these cultural figures to tell the powerful and emotional journeys of real heros. In this example, he documents the first wave of American troops landing on D-Day, Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. This black and white photograph shows soldiers and their equipment knee deep in water. We see the backs of the soldiers as they trek up toward the land for battle. Although most people have not experienced war in person, the viewer can still feel the fear and sweat of each soldier depicted by the rawness and authenticity of the photograph. Capa gave up a lot, including his own life, to take these photographs so he could be remembered, but more importantly, for the people and the stories in the photos to be remembered in history. 

Capa, Robert. The first wave of American troops landing on D-Day, Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. Artsy, 1944. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/robert-capa-the-first-wave-of-american-troops-landing-on-d-day-omaha-beach-normandy-france-1