The Photograph as Document

Photography has had many purposes over the years, whether it be for showing an artistic view of the world, or for biographical means. Photography is most commonly used as documentation, mainly because it is seen as the most legitimate form of that. The idea of showing people what's happened rather than simply telling them is what makes photography a popular form of documentation. But is it really that legitimate? After all, a lot of photographers have been known to set up the shot, and manipulating with the scene even slightly is enough to completely remove any sense of authentication. William Edward Kilburn's The Great Chartist Meeting At The Common works as documentation because it shows the photographer's view in the crowd and simply shows the audience what is happening without manipulating or enhancing the shot whatsoever. Of course manipulation with the scene can also be seen as an alternative form of documentation. It tends to happen, particularly with war photography, because the photographer wants to establish what the situation looks like in their eyes. The disadvantage of this is that it lessens the value of the documentation, not having that "definitive moment" quality added to the picture.