Matthew Brady (c1822-96) was head of a team of photographers who documented the American civil war. Brady and his team recorded the cruelty and futility of war through photography of the dead. Like Fenton, Brady and his colleagues moved people and objects to create a more graphic or telling image.
Are there circumstances in which this might be a valid action to take in my opinion?
To document is to provide evidence, 'evidence not to be questioned' a medieval term for an official paper, evidence not to be questioned, a truthful account backed by the authority of the law. Documentary photography as a genre, has rested within this frame of authority and significance. My opinion is that if a photographer is a documentary photographer, then tampering with what is being photographed in order to enhance an image in order to increase controversy seems the wrong action to take, especially within the arena of war, the images are taken as 'evidence not to be questioned', although in this day and age, with the advances of technology, any image could be called into question if not officially scrutinised.
This video talks about Matthew Brady (1822-1896) a famous 19th Century American photographer. Brady is best known for his portraits of presidents, celebrities and historic figures of the American Civil War.
Brady Photographed the reality of war including the uprooted, homeless refugees and the wounded, dead and dying.
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