Documentary photography in the context of "Documentary film"

A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". The American author and media analyst Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in terms of "a filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception [that remains] a practice without clear boundaries".

Research into information gathering, as a behavior, and the sharing of knowledge, as a concept, has noted how documentary movies were preceded by the notable practice of documentary photography. This has involved the use of singular photographs to detail the complex attributes of historical events and continues to a certain degree to this day, with an example being the conflict-related photography achieved by popular figures such as Mathew Brady during the American Civil War. Documentary movies evolved from the creation of singular images in order to convey particular types of information in depth, using film as a medium.

Candid photography, also called spontaneous photography or snap shooting, is photography captured without creating a posed appearance. Candid photography captures natural expressions and moments that might not be possible to reproduce in a studio or posed photo shoot. This style of photography is most often used to capture people in their natural state without them noticing the camera. The main focus is on capturing the candid expressions and moments of life. Candid photography is often seen as a more honest representation of the subject than posed photography.

Candid photography can be used to capture a wide variety of subjects and occasions. It is a popular style of photography for street photography, wedding photography, portrait photography, and event photography. It can be used to capture candid moments of life, such as people walking on the street or in other public places such as parks and beaches, children playing, or family gatherings. It can also be used to capture moments of joy and celebration. Candid photography is also used in photojournalism and documentary photography.

Travel photography is a genre of photography that may involve the documentation of an area's landscape, people, cultures, customs, and history. The Photographic Society of America defines a travel photo as an image that expresses the feeling of a time and place, portrays a land, its people, or a culture in its natural state, and has no geographical limitations.Travel photography sits at the intersection of ethnography, tourism, Orientalism, and documentary practice.As a genre, it remains one of the most open in terms of the subjects it covers. Many travel photographers specialize in particular approaches—such as travel portraiture, landscape, or documentary work—while others capture all aspects of travel experience. Much of today’s visual style derives from the early work published in magazines such as National Geographic, with photographers like Steve McCurry shaping its popular aesthetic. The practice often entails working under varied and unpredictable conditions—indoors with low light, outdoors with shifting ambient light, or on the street where encounters may be fleeting or uncertain—seeking to capture both the atmosphere of place and the transitory “magic” of light.

As travel has become more accessible, the genre has increasingly opened up to both amateurs and professionals. Amateur travel photography is often shared through sites like Flickr, 500px, and 1x. Travel photography, unlike other genres such as fashion, product, or food photography, remains relatively less monetized, though the challenges faced by travel photographers are often greater than in controlled studio conditions. Traditionally, travel photographers earned money through stock photography, magazine assignments, and commercial projects. In recent years, however, the stock photography market has declined, leading many photographers to pursue alternative sources of income such as blogging, public speaking, commercial collaborations, and teaching.

Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such as documentary photography, social documentary photography, war photography, street photography and celebrity photography) by having a rigid ethical framework which demands an honest and impartial approach that tells a story in strictly journalistic terms. Photojournalists contribute to the news media, and help communities connect with one other. They must be well-informed and knowledgeable, and are able to deliver news in a creative manner that is both informative and entertaining.

Similar to a writer, a photojournalist is a reporter, but they must often make decisions instantly and carry photographic equipment, often while exposed to significant obstacles, among them immediate physical danger, bad weather, large crowds, and limited physical access to their subjects.

Dorothea Lange (born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn; May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965) was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Lange's photographs influenced the development of documentary photography and humanized the consequences of the Great Depression.

Wedding photography is a specialty in photography that is primarily focused on the photography of events and activities relating to weddings. It may include other types of portrait photography of the couple before the official wedding day, such as a pre-wedding engagement session, in which the photographs are later used for the couple's wedding invitations. On the wedding day, the photographer(s) will provide portrait photography as well as documentary photography to document the different wedding events and rituals throughout the day(s).

Social documentary photography or concerned photography is the recording of what the world looks like, with a social and/or environmental focus. It is a form of documentary photography, with the aim to draw the public's attention to ongoing social issues. It may also refer to a socially critical genre of photography dedicated to showing the life of underprivileged or disadvantaged people.