Documentary photography, as one of the first and most important branches of photography, has been one of the main drivers of social change for more than a century. Documentary photography is a term used to describe the art of photographing people, places, and events that are historically, politically, or socially significant. Documentary photography has the power to tell and value important stories in an authentic way. There are many genres of photography, but documentary photography is one of the most honest forms of this art form. The ultimate goal of a documentary photographer is to capture a precise and real moment to tell a story. Documentary photography also has different types. Such as social documentary photography, environmental photography, war photography, wedding documentary photography, street documentary photography and news photography. It should be noted that documentary photography is different from street photography. The main purpose of street photography is to portray people and not to cover an event. In fact, this branch of photography is a mirror in front of people, which sometimes conveys political or social messages with humor or a sarcastic tone, which in such a situation is close to documentary photography. Street photography is not reportage. There is no duty for a street photographer to document a specific subject. But by using documentary photography, we can create documentary street photography and depict the process of an event. Street photographers like „Henri Cartier-Bresson” popularized this style. “Cartier-Bresson” helped start documentary street photography. His book “The Decisive Moment” forever changed the style of documentary photography. He took pictures of everyday life on the street that were not usually seen. The same principles apply to documentary photography in different situations. Whether you’re capturing moments of combat in a war-torn foreign country or just the everyday details of your family life, the rules of good framing and proper exposure must be applied. Finding the subject, research, communication with the subject and creativity are also among the things that you should pay special attention to. Preparing a shot list of the places and people you want to photograph will also help you in creating a high quality documentary photography. Regardless of the type of documentary photography, the essence of a documentary photo is storytelling. Whether it is the story of everyday life, historical events or the surrounding environment. This type of photography plays a vital role in capturing the society and telling the story of those who may not be able to speak to the public. If you want to enter a meaningful field of photography, documentary photography may be right for you. Because it gives you the opportunity to make meaningful changes in the world.