This article is devoted to the master of the documentary and art photo D. Bagayev. D. Bagayev is the chronicler of the Pavlodar Priirtyshje, the founder of the Pavlodar museum of local lore. He fixed all his research on a photo. He is one of the few photographers of that time who approached to the photo not only as to craft, but, first of all, as to creativity. The article analyzes of subject photo works of D. P. Bagayev relating to the section: «Life and a Way of Life of the Kazakh people at the Beginning of the XX Century». The photos are classified by four main theme groups. Features of each of groups are illustrated on striking examples fully reflecting the national specifics, a historical situation, and philosophical reflections of the author. D. P. Bagaev, a known photographer, gives the analysis to the documentary photographs devoted to life and a way of life of the Kazakh people. In the analysis of photos the special attention is paid to national specifics: to features of a national suit, subjects of utensils and life, the cultural phenomena, all terms used, in this regard, have detailed explanations. The article is written on the basis of archival and museum documents and contains a broad graphic range which is made by D. P. Bagaev’s photo works.