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Biography:
- Lewis Hine (1874–1940) was trained as a sociologist.
- His interest in photography was driven by his desire to understand and depict social conditions.
Philosophy:
- Hine believed that photographs must first impact viewers to instigate social change.
- His work serves as both a protest and a celebration of ordinary people.
- Focused particularly on child labor abuses, he created some of his most poignant imagery from 1911 to 1916 as the official photographer for the National Labor Committee.
Techniques:
- Often concealed his camera to capture candid photographs without flash.
- Adapted to considerable opposition while trying to reveal the truth behind labor conditions.

Hine believed in depicting the necessity for reform:
- "I wanted to show things that had to be corrected… My child labor photos have already set the authorities to work to see if such things can be possible. They try to get around the issue by crying forgery, but that is the value of the dates and the witnesses."
Legacy:
- Although Hine produced thousands of photographs, child labor laws did not become law until the 1930s, highlighting a delay in reform despite his evident impact.
- Owen Lovejoy, of the National Child Labor Committee, acknowledged Hine's contribution, stating his work was pivotal in bringing child labor conditions to public attention.

Hine used a Graflex camera, which allowed him to see the image in the correct orientation before taking the shot, vastly improving compositional control.
The Graflex promoted a forceful and human quality in his photographs.

Background:
- Jacob Riis (1849–1914) was a newspaper reporter who documented urban life, focusing on slum conditions that immigrants faced.
Methodology:
- Riis utilized photography to expose truths about the urban poor.
- Frequently met with opposition from employers who accused him of muckraking.
- Notably had to find creative means to photograph children in potentially dangerous situations (often disguised as a fire inspector).
Findings and Impact:
- Traveled approximately 50,000 miles between 1916 and 1917 to document appalling working conditions, such as children aged six working long hours.
- Documented individuals in the industry on prints, with noted details about their lives and labor.

Riis's methodology and frankness influenced a generation of photographers and established a tradition leading into the 1930s.
Photographers of the Farm Security Administration: Captured the lives of people affected by the Great Depression using the groundwork laid by Riis.

Sebastião Salgado:
- Active in contemporary photojournalism, attending to global issues of social, cultural, and environmental importance.
Shift in Photographic Styles:
- Modern thinkers promoted realistic depictions, yet the focus shifted towards subjective expressions in photography.
- Berenice Abbott (1898–1991) documented New York City with a focus on social, cultural, and architectural changes, receiving federal support for her project, Changing New York.
Walker Evans (1903–1975):
- Developed a rural-based documentary style that revealed the beauty in everyday life, focusing on the essence of American tradition.

Origins:
- Founded in New York City in 1936 by Sid Grossman and Sol Libsohn to support documentary photography.
- Drew from a leftist ethos per its connection to earlier photographic clubs.
Key Projects:
- Notable projects like The Harlem Document investigated life in significant Black neighborhoods, with contributions from various photographers.

Overview:
- Directed by Roy Stryker, documented rural conditions during the Great Depression, incorporating over 270,000 photographs from multiple photographers including Dorothea Lange.
Dorothea Lange's Impact:
- Known for her iconic image Migrant Mother (1936), Lange's photography highlighted human suffering and resilience during the Depression, becoming a symbol of documentary photography.

Edward S. Curtis:
- Renowned for his work with Native American subjects, often criticized for perpetuating stereotypes.
- Produced a comprehensive survey highlighting the rich spectrum of Native American culture despite subjective representations.
August Sander:
- Aimed to portray the German populace through an extensive project, sequencing images to depict social stratification.
- His work was recognized for its clarity and directness but was banned under Nazi ideology.

Bill Brandt:
- Influenced by experimentative photography, Brandt created dramatic narratives that portrayed various classes in English society.
Manuel Álvarez Bravo:
- His culturally rich photographs captured the nuances of Mexican identity and societal issues.

The evolution of photojournalistic methods significantly promoted social consciousness and reform movements, while the increasing accessibility of photographic technology encouraged subjective expression in the art form. This laid the groundwork for future trends in photography, paving the way for modern documentary techniques.