Documentary photography, even more than street photography, captures stories that might otherwise go unnoticed. From social inequality to everyday moments, these photographers have shown the world as it really is. Below, for inspiration, is a list of 25 of the most influential documentary photographers of all time. Of course, there are more, but I have tried to make a nice cross-section!
Do you now have a project of your own and are looking for a documentary photographer with roots in street photography (unpolished, spontaneous photography) who also thinks with you, please contact me.
Here they come:
1. Robert Frank (1924-2019, Switzerland)
Known from The Americans, a raw and honest portrait of post-war America.
2. Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004, France)
Founder of 'decisive moment' photography and co-founder of Magnum Photos.
3. Sebastião Salgado (1944-present, Brazil)
Captures social and environmental issues in dramatic black-and-white images.
4. Walker Evans (1903-1975, USA)
Documented daily life in the US during the Great Depression.
5. Don McCullin (1935-present, United Kingdom)
Legendary war photographer with confrontational images of conflict zones.
6. Bruce Davidson (1933-present, US)
Documented the civil rights movement and social margins in the US.
7. Diane Arbus (1923-1971, USA)
Photographed outsiders and people on the fringes of society.
8. David Goldblatt (1930-2018, South Africa)
Documented apartheid in South Africa with an austere but powerful style.
9. Jill Freedman (1939-2019, USA)
Known for her raw photographs of policemen, firefighters and the homeless.
10. Susan Meiselas (1948-present, USA)
Known for her work on conflicts in Central America.
11. Philip Jones Griffiths (1936-2008, United Kingdom)
His book Vietnam Inc. showed the effects of the Vietnam War.
12. Raghu Rai (1942-present, India)
Indian documentary photographer with poignant images of his country.
13. LaToya Ruby Frazier (1982-present, USA)
Her work focuses on social and economic inequality in the US.
14. Gabriele Basilico (1944-2013, Italy)
Captured the transformation of cities in powerful architectural photography.
15. Claude Dityvon (1937-2008, France)
Documented the 1968 Paris student protest and urban change.
16. Paolo Pellegrin (1964-present, Italy)
Magnum photographer with intense images of conflict and humanitarian crises.
17. Joan Colom (1921-2017, Spain)
Known for his clandestine street photography in Barcelona's working-class neighbourhoods.
18. Christer Strömholm (1918-2002, Sweden)
Captured the trans community of Paris in intimate black-and-white images.
19. Luigi Ghirri (1943-1992, Italy)
Known for his subtle and poetic documentary photography of the Italian landscape.
20. Josef Koudelka (1938-present, Czech Republic)
Documented the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and nomadic life.
21. Jean Gaumy (1948-present, France)
Known for his raw maritime and industrial photography.
22. Zanele Muholi (1972-present, South Africa)
Captures the LGBTQ+ community in South Africa with an activist perspective.
23. Latif Al Ani (1932-present, Iraq)
Offers a unique picture of pre-war Iraq.
24. Mary Ellen Mark (1940-2015, USA)
Photographed socially vulnerable groups, from street children to psychiatric patients.
25. Lewis Hine (1874-1940, USA)
Known for its images of child labour in the US.
These photographers have changed the world through their images. Their work shows how powerful documentary photography can be - from war to poverty, from protests to everyday life. I'd like to dig deep into one that is suddenly all over the news again because of the recent film about her life (wonderful role by Kate Winslet):
Lee Miller (1907-1977)
Lee Miller began her career as a model and surrealist photographer, before developing into one of the most influential war photographers of the 20th century. During World War II, she worked as a correspondent for Vogue and recorded the liberation of concentration camps such as Dachau and Buchenwald. Her work was raw, confrontational and showed the human impact of war in a way that was unprecedented. Besides her war photography, she also had a strong connection with the surrealist art movement and collaborated with Man Ray.
Her life and work have recently been brought to renewed attention by the feature film Lee (2023), in which Kate Winslet plays the role of Lee Miller. The film focuses on her time as a war correspondent and shows the complexity of her life - from her career in fashion to the emotional impact of what she saw during the war. The film offers a deeper look at her multifaceted personality and the way she captured the realities of war.