Photography is an important element in the historical documentation and archiving of performance art as a means of residue, legitimacy, framing, contextualization and preservation of the work in a consumable format for a secondary audience. The use of photography is important for its ontological qualities reinforced by our system of values ​​and beliefs in the eye of the camera as a true representation of the real world. Although many artists have photographic documentation of their work, there are issues around staging, the limits of fragmentation, political/media overtones and whether this is contradictory to the nature of the performance. Despite photography's impact on performance art, is it necessary? Photography crosses various mediums, including performance art, and has a significant impact on our daily lives in social media. Performance art flourished in the 1960s and 1970s as an interdisciplinary medium typically presented to an audience, relying heavily on their belief, presence, or acknowledgment of the reality of the event. Photographic documentation of performance art in the 1960s and 1970s relied on black and white analog photography for additional audiences and, in some cases, was incorporated into the performance as part of the process. Other forms of residue, which are the lasting afterglow of the event, include the script, audio, video/film, drawings, installation, or artist's word that the event took place. is produced. As a means of representation or residue, photography can capture the lasting afterglow of an event. performance. A photograph may be taken before, during or after the performance, archiving the process, or it may be fully immersed in the act and become an integral part of the performance. Tehching Hseih incorporated the camera into his year-long performance experience...... middle of paper ....... However, a stream of photographs can provide this. Photography also lacks sensory components, excluding the use of touch, smell, and audio, which can be important elements of the work. Regardless, the audience needs some form of documentation to believe that the performance actually happened or to socialize an isolated event. The residue frames and contextualizes the work and can become a historical document available for mass consumption. Without evidence, it is difficult to digest the news of the performance and it is difficult for the public to accept or appreciate an invisible or non-existent work. None of the artists who participated in artistic performances would be remembered without documentation and historical archiving. Despite the great impact of photography on the history of performance art, photographic documentation is not a necessity..