Contemporary Commission Programme From the beginning the DPA s interest centred on the interpretation of the photograph as a primary source in historical research. There is nothing new in the idea of taking photographs for the specific purpose of historical record. This was an application of the new technology which had inspired the pioneers of photography from its earliest days. At the DPA, however, we wanted to move away from established notions of record photography. The difference in approach between record and survey photography and the documentary tradition is absolutely fundamental.
Objectivity is rejected in favour of subjective interpretation.
Their power lies in their ability to comment, suggest, insinuate and appeal to our emotions. Photographs by documentary photographers are both individual interpretations and historical records. Even when no longer topical, these images will communicate powerfully and directly down the generations. Thus our photographers are appointed for the quality of their interpretation. They are encouraged in their photographs to comment on the subject, to invite comparison, to invoke emotion, to influence response.