A documentary implies portraying the truth that exists in the world in its real form. The same goes for documentary photography. It is one genre of photography that endeavors to produce veracious and objective photographs of a specific subject, but most often it revolves around people and their lives in distress. The main aim of every photographer is to make the viewer see the photograph from his perspective.

The challenge for any documentary photographer is to bring out the sensitive scenes and moments, while making sure the camera doesn’t corrupt or interfere with the original image. For instance, using a photographic filter can obscure the original subject and portray it in an unauthentic manner. Documentary photography is a part of professional photojournalism, which usually caters to publication houses. These photographs are also meant for exhibition in an art gallery or any other public forum. In documentary photographs, photographers aim for natural moments rather than posed scenes. But if the aim is to document something that requires a pose, say a dress or a costume, then it must be done as needed. This way the emotions are brought alive in the photographs. Most people take pleasure in shooting documentary photographs for their own personal archives.

Documentary work is more well-known from films, but a well-done documentary photograph will evoke equally powerful responses.