The man came towards me with both thumbs raised. I was photographing people around a rally on Avenida Paulista when he stepped in front of the lens and presented his hands...
What a photograph proves, and what others make it mean. A critical essay on how documentary photographs change purpose across editorial contexts and how responsibility follows each new use.
On October 11, 2026, thousands gathered on Avenida Paulista in São Paulo ahead of Brazil’s presidential runoff. Photographer Neil Wildin observed how people watched, recorded, and occupied the street, exploring both the possibilities and limits of documentary photography.
