The truth of photographic images has been challenged since the 19th century when the means for making them were invented. While the medium was embraced by the public at large, photographers have continued to grapple with the methods and techniques available to them, experimenting with technologies as they emerged and discovering the capacity of the medium to represent the world they experienced.
 
Photographs are inherently subjective in the ways in which they are made and perceived. There is no absolute truth in the photographic image. Photographers frame the reality that they see, whether the process is spontaneous or planned.

The truth of photography relies not only on the integrity of the image, but on its context and accessibility.

VIEWING TRUTH IN PHOTOGRAPHY

The themes can be viewed in sequence or in whichever order the viewer chooses. Select a theme from the menu bar at the top of the page, or click one of the buttons below.​​

FOCUS

Focus highlights photographers, organizations, and issues crucial to our understanding and questioning of Truth in Photography.

JOSEF KOUDELKA: NEXT
Melissa Harris

Melissa Harris discusses the challenging process of creating a visual biography of Magnum photographer Josef Koudelka in collaboration with the artist.

UPSTATE GIRLS
Brenda Ann Kenneally

Photographer Brenda Ann Kenneally has spent years photographing a family struggling against systems of oppression. She aims to share a sense of purpose and agency with her photograph subjects, who she also considers her family.

BROKEN MIRROR
Samantha Sutcliffe

In a series of intimate photographs, Samantha Sutcliffe explores sexuality, gender, and alienation.

DOCUMENTARY ARTS FELLOWSHIP

​The annual Documentary Arts Fellowship enables students in the ICP’s  the One-Year Certificate programs to deepen their photography practice, while supporting Documentary Arts’ goal to present new perspectives on history and culture. The 2023 recipients were photographers Gianluca Lanciai and María Prieto.

JEWELS OF THE HOLE
Gianluca Lanciai

Photographer Gianluca Lanciai ventured into “The Hole,” an infamous neighborhood in NYC, to explore if the rumors about it were true. He discovered a reality far more complicated.

ZARAGOZA MEXICAN DELI
María Prieto and Pablo Argüelles

In their photographs, María Prieto and her partner Pablo Argüelles delve deeply into the cultural life of their favorite East Village deli, creating images that are at once raw, quirky, and endearing.

WEST BANK FRAGMENTS

In early 2024, Gianluca Lanciai taught an online workshop for young students from the West Bank, a Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation. Lanciai has created a zine of the photographs, titled Fragments.
“Fragments is a collaborative project between the Fragments Theater, a creative hub in Jenin founded by Rawand Arqawi, and the photographer Gianluca Lanciai. Fragments Theater is dedicated to producing innovative workshops for young artists in the West Bank, providing them with a platform to express their experiences through art. Over the past five months, the Visual Connection workshop held by Lanciai has yielded remarkable results, showcasing the talent and passion for photography of these young artists. 

The result of this workshop was named Fragments in honor of the theater. This project aims to amplify the voices and visual testimonies of these young artists, capturing their lives amidst ongoing conflict. Through nonviolent but powerful images, Fragments seeks to preserve narratives of resilience, identity, and hope, portraying both the difficulties and dreams of these talented young people.​”
~Gianluca Lanciai
Lanciai and Arqawi are fundraising to provide these young artists with equipment and mentorship to continue working on their stories. You can donate to their campaign here.

Below are photo essays from three of Lanciai's students: Batool Abuhasan, Aram Wildali, and Mojahed Shriteh. 

NOSTALGIA
Batool Abuhasan

Batool Abuhasan reflects on shadow, memories, and the way things in our lives change.

THE HOPE LAKE
​​Aram Wildali

In the midst of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Aram Wildali captures images of peace, beauty, and hope at a temporary lake in the West Bank village of Sanur.

MASAFER YATTA
Mojahed Shriteh

Mojahed Shriteh documents the hardships faced by the people in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of rural Palestinian villages.
Copyright © 2024 Documentary Arts, Inc.