Photography articles

 Article Analysis: The Role of Documentary Photography in Recording History

Rafly Abimanyu, Retina Journal of Photography, February 16, 2025

1. 5W + 1H

Who: Rafly Abimanyu, researcher from Institut Seni Indonesia Yogyakarta.

What: An academic article about the role of documentary photography in recording history.

When: Published on February 16, 2025.

Where: Retina Jurnal Fotografi, Vol. 5 No. 1 (2025).

Why: Because history and important events may be forgotten or lost without proper documentation.

How: Through a literature review method, analyzing several previous academic works.

2. Nominal and Verbal

Nominal (Nouns/phrases): documentary photography, historical record, visual evidence, ancient artefact, collective memory, literature review, documentation.

Verbal (Verbs/phrases): to document, to record, to capture, to preserve, to analyze, to prevent, to be forgotten.

3. Tense (Grammar Focus)

The article mainly uses Present Simple Tense to describe general truths and importance:

“Documentary photography plays an important role as visual evidence in history.”

It also applies Past Tense when describing the method of the research:

“The method applied in this article was a literature review based on previous scientific writings.”

4. Active & Passive Constructions

Active Constructions (Kalimat Aktif):

“The author raises the theme of documentary photography.”

“Documentary photography preserves historical events.”

“The study uses a literature review method.”

Passive Constructions (Kalimat Pasif):

“Historical events are documented through photography.”

“Important artefacts were recorded by documentary photographers.”

“The literature review was conducted by the author.”

5. Reason for Writing

The reason for writing this article is to emphasize the importance of documentary photography in preserving historical moments. Without documentation, important events or artefacts may be forgotten. Therefore, photography functions not only as art but also as historical evidence.

6. Vocabulary (Key Terms)

1. Documentary photography – a type of photography used to record facts or events.

2. Historical record – written or visual evidence of history.

3. Visual evidence – proof that can be seen.

4. Artefact – an object from the past with historical value.

5. Collective memory – shared memories of society.

6. Literature review – a research method analyzing written works.

7. Preserve – to keep something safe for the future.

8. Forgotte – no longer remembered.

7. Conclusion

In conclusion, documentary photography is not only a medium of art but also an essential tool for historical recording. It provides concrete visual evidence that preserves events, artefacts, and memories from being lost or forgotten. By using literature review, the author shows that documentary photography holds an irreplaceable role in maintaining the traces of history for future generations.