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This paper provides some contributions (both methodological and empirical) by the photography in a sociological study on the urban art. It deals specifically with the graffiti and the street art. The central objective is to question how pertinent it is to use a photographic record as a tool for gathering information and carrying out a documentary analysis based on a dual action basis: on one hand, to highlight the methodological process in a research where the photograph is pivotal as a visual means, discussing critically on different views of the city. On the other hand, to provide examples on how the photography is relevant in the social universe under research, i.e., among the artists doing graffiti and street art. In these two cases, taking photographs of the works in the public space provides a double game: 1) as a tangible practice of legitimization and gaining prestige within a collective; and, 2) as a material proof for the recognition and appreciation of their artistic track record. The analytical framework includes to record in situ the produced images in different Latin American (Buenos Aires, Lima, Montevideo) and European cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon, Paris, Porto). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]