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Photography Documentaries

Top 15 Photography Documentaries

In this article, we'll explore the top 15 Photography Documentaries

Intro: Photography Documentaries

Fashion photography is a distinct art form. There's something for everyone, and a photographer for every taste, from high-end glamour and elaborate set-preparation to off-the-cuff street photography.

The fashion photography documentary sub-genre is fortunately abundant, due in part to TV-produced films that approach the subject using a variety of pre-existing video material, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage of the artists at work. A documentary documenting the work of many of the art form's pioneers has been released, giving the audience a better understanding of the ordinarily secretive people behind the camera.

1. Ansel Adams, Photographer - Photography Documentaries

Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist whose black-and-white photographs of the American West are well-known. He was a founding member of Group f/64, a group of photographers who advocated for "pure" photography, which promoted crisp focus and utilised a photograph's whole tonal range. He and Fred Archer created the Zone Methodology. This precise image-making system involves a thorough technical grasp of how tonal range is recorded and developed during exposure, negative development, and printing. His photography was defined by the purity and depth of the photographs that resulted.

2. The Many Lives Of William Klein - Photography Documentary

William Klein (born April 19, 1928) is an American photographer who uses unexpected components in his images and movies.

He was born in New York and grew up as a Jewish youngster in an anti-Semitic neighbourhood. He resorted to painting as a method to escape his friends when he was young. Before joining the Army, he was a frequent visitor to the Museum of Modern Art and a City College of New York student. He moved from the United States to France in 1948, where he studied painting under Fernand Léger and then enrolled at the Sorbonne.

Klein studied painting and worked as Fernand Léger's assistant in Paris for a short time, but he never got official photographic instruction. His fashion work has been published in Vogue magazine and is the subject of numerous landmark picture books, including Life is Good and Good for You in New York (1957) and Tokyo (1957). (1964). In the 1980s, he shifted his focus to filmmaking, producing several noteworthy documentaries and feature films, including Muhammed Ali: The Greatest (1969).

Klein is presently based in Paris, France. The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Art Institute of Chicago, among others, own his works.

3. Hints Of Life: Documentary Film About Fine Art Photographer/Urban Explorer Rebecca Bathory -Documentaries About Photographers

The examination of artificial buildings, mainly abandoned ruins or hidden components of the created environment, is known as urban exploration (commonly abbreviated as UE, urbex, and occasionally called roof-and-tunnel hacking). The pastime emphasizes photography and historical interest/documentation, and it sometimes necessitates trespassing on private land. Draining (a type of urban exploration in which storm drains or sewers are examined), urban spelunking, urban rock climbing, urban caving, building hacking, or mousing are used to describe urban exploration.

The action has several dangers, including bodily harm and the possibility of imprisonment and penalty if done illegally and without a license. Some behaviours related to urban exploration may be deemed trespassing or invasion of privacy and may break municipal or regional laws, as well as some broadly defined anti-terrorism legislation.

4. Nat Geo: National Geographic The Photographers - Best Photography Documentary

I've watched hundreds of National Geographic episodes, and "The Photographers" is by far the most bizarre. Instead of concentrating on a specific species, group, or location, it focuses on the photographers who have worked for the publication...particularly some recent ones. This allows the people to step out from behind their cameras and be acknowledged for their incredible abilities and hard work. I was astounded to learn how frequently these people have had malaria, parasitic worms, and been robbed, as well as the terrible conditions and patience they require...not to mention the hundreds of shots they take to get that one outstanding shot...and this was all before digital cameras were available!

5. Peter Lindbergh: The Supermodel Photographer -Documentary on Photography

Peter Lindbergh, a famous photographer, died on September 3 at the age of 74. This was disclosed via an Instagram post on his verified account. "It leaves a big gap," the caption adds, followed by a black-and-white image - one of his classic photography's primary keys - that could not be more allegorical: a desert photographic scene. "He is survived by his wife Petra, his first wife Astrid, his four children Benjamin, Jérémy, Simon, and Joseph, as well as seven grandkids," reads the shocking statement.

Lindbergh was well-known for not editing his photographs (and forcing him to sign agreements in which he made sure of it).

6. Abstract: The Art Of Design - Photography Documentaries

The Art of Design is a Netflix original documentary series that features artists working in design. On February 10, 2017, it was made available on Netflix. Scott Dadich, the former editor-in-chief of Wired, devised the series.

Illustrator Christoph Niemann, Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, stage designer Es Devlin, architect Bjarke Ingels, automobile designer Ralph Gilles, graphic designer Paula Scher, photographer Platon, and interior designer Ilse Crawford were among those featured in the inaugural season.

The series was renewed for a second season by Netflix in 2019, and it was released on September 25, 2019.

7. Magnum Photos - Photography Documentary

Magnum Photos has a digital repository of over one million photographs, which it licenses through its website. After difficulties were identified by the 'Fstoppers' photography website and escalated on social media by others, including Jörg Colberg, the Magnum website was taken offline in August 2020. Based on the tags on the images, there was a concern that Magnum was making available photographs of minors with nudity, that the encounters captured instances of child sexual abuse, and that the photos were problematic in terms of how they had been labelled for searches.

8. History Of American Photography - Documentaries About Photographers

According to Ralph Hattersley, "to grasp what our lives mean to us." We study history for similar reasons.

Marc Falzon of Analog Process walks us through some of the photographs and image creators that had a crucial part in creating the early history of American photography in this brief history of the medium.

9. The Many Lives Of William Klein - Photography Documentaries

According to Ralph Hattersley, "to grasp what our lives mean to us."

We study history for similar reasons.

Marc Falzon of Analog Process walks us through some of the photographs and image creators that had a crucial part in creating the early history of American photography in this brief history of the medium.

William Klein is a pioneer of street photography and one of the world's most prominent photographers. He also designed some of the most famous fashion photographs of the twentieth century. Klein embraced his passion for documentary and fashion as a filmmaker, directing over 20 films, including the first documentary on Muhammad Ali and the parody Who Are You, Polly Magoo? The BBC created a one-hour documentary about Klein's work, including intimate interviews and a glimpse inside his studio, in advance of his 2012 show at Tate Modern.

10. Is Photography Art - Photography Documentary

Although photography can be considered an art medium, not all images are intended to be works of art or expressions of creative expression. It took a long time for photography to be acknowledged as a legitimate art form. Photographic artworks, on the other hand, are currently on display at many art museums and galleries. Famous and well-known photographers include Ansel Adams, Herve Lewis, Dorothea Lang, SN, Man Ray, Jonas Leriche, Irving Penn, etc.

Photography is not one of the classic seven forms of art because it is a relatively recent medium. Still, it is included in the more extensive definition of the visual arts. Photography can be classified as fine art or commercial art in the visual arts. Annie Lebovitz, for example, works in both the fine and commercial art sectors.

11. Portrait - Documentary on Photography

A portrait portrays a person's face and expressions in a painting, picture, sculpture, or another creative medium. The goal is to convey the person's image, personality, and even mood. As a result, a portrait in photography is usually not a snapshot but rather a prepared image of a person in a fixed posture. A picture frequently portrays a person gazing straight at the painter or photographer to engage the subject with the spectator.

Plastered human skulls were rebuilt human heads produced between 9000 and 6000 BC in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B era in the ancient Levant. They are among the Middle East's earliest works of art, demonstrating that prehistoric people took great care in burying their relatives under their dwellings. The skulls represent some of the first sculptural portraiture instances in art history.

12.  Safari Of My Life - Wildlife Photography Documentary

The video is a personal narrative, but it covers a wide range of topics: confronting problems, accepting change, appreciating life, and, most importantly, never giving up!

"You have no control over what life throws at you, but you do have control over how you react to it!" We feel it is quite appropriate in the light of our current predicament.

The narrative follows wildlife photographer Klaus Tiedge as he goes on safari in Kenya in 2018 - a year after being diagnosed with cancer. Klaus took on a new task in his life because, as he put it, he needed a new aim — he decided to take his family on a safari in Kenya.

The film is a personal narrative, but it touches on so many parts of life — it's about overcoming obstacles, accepting change, loving life, and, most importantly, it's about acceptance.

13. Documentary Photography Tips By Kevin Mullins - Photography Documentaries

Documentary wedding photography, in my opinion, is all about telling a narrative. Emotion, touch, and eye contact all play a part in conveying history. Every wedding has a unique tale that may be communicated via photographs. There are no words needed; just a succession of powerful images transport the subject, the spectator, and the bride and groom back to that exact moment in time.

The fabric of the wedding is in the story unfolding, and my role is to weave it into a tangible visual folio that will stand the test of time. Group pictures and formal photography will always be part of weddings, and there are many fantastic photographers out there that shoot them.

14. BBC Omnibus Documentary - Photography Documentaries

In 1982, the show was presented in a magazine-style by Barry Norman for one season. The BBC stated in 2001 that the show would be moved to BBC Two, raising complaints that the corporation was marginalizing its arts programming even further. "The documentary strand will be able to handle a larger range of issues," said BBC head of arts commissioning Roly Keating. Omnibus, dubbed the BBC's "flagship arts show," was one of just two regular art programs broadcast at the time.

The BBC stated in late 2002 that Omnibus would be axed the following year, to be replaced by Alan Yentob's arts programme Imagine.

15. Masters Of Photography: Diane Arbus - Documentaries about Photography

Diane Arbus's work is described by her daughter, friends, critics and in her own words as documented in her notebooks. Many of her images are used to illustrate the book. Themes: Arbus' unconventional go-it-alone strategy. Her fascination with the strange, with persons on the periphery of society: sexual deviants, unusual sorts, the extremes, dubious fashion choices, ironic or surreal stances and scenarios. She photographed where most people would turn away. This program was produced in conjunction with a large retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art, which followed her success at the Venice Biennale and death.

Photography Documentaries: Conclusion

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Picture Credits: @christianw on Unsplash

Images credits: Unsplash.com