On Photography By Susan Sontag Essay

Photography gives you a small sample of reality, but these realities have been changed to what the photographer wants to present. However as Sontag stated, “Of course, photographs fill in the blanks in our mental pictures of the present and the past.” Pictures show proof that all of the history that we learn is true, but although it confirms that, pictures does not show us the entire picture of how people felt about the situation. For example, one might have a picture from WWII and show us the setting, but does that picture really show the feeling of the people? That is why we say that photography only goes as far as to how the photographer wants to show the

For this essay the works of Robert Draper, author of “Why Photos Matter,” and Fred Ritchen, author of “Photography Changes the Way News is Reported,” will be analyzed. Though both deal with the topic of photography, their take on the matter is very different. While Ritchen is a photographer who writes on “what professional photographers will be doing in the future,” Draper is a writer for the National Geographic writing on how the photographers of the magazine share “a hunger for the unknown.” Both writers, however, write on the topic of photographers having a deeper understanding of their subjects, Ritchen due to research and practice, and Draper because the photographers “sit [with] their subjects, just listening to them.” In both essays the need for a deeper understanding of the

Lauren Tarpley Photography is a photography studio that is located in Garland, Texas. This business was established in Atlanta but Lauren Tarpley relocated to Texas because her husband is a Texan. Lauren Tarpley has been a professional photographer for more than 6 years. Lauren Tarpley Photography specializes in children photography, maternity photography, couple photography, newborn photography, wedding photography, and high school senior photography.

In Freeman Patterson’s article “Barriers to Seeing” an interesting shift takes place in paragraph 12. Patterson begins to discuss his final barrier to seeing, the camera itself. He cites the Susan Sontag, who claims that “a way of certifying experience, taking photographs is also way of refusing it-by limiting experience to the search for the photogenic, by converting experiences into an image, a souvenir.” This position that Sontag takes shows that she believes that the camera clouds are memories of an event, only showing the most perfect part. I believe this to be true, with a few limitations.

Sontag claims that “photography is, a social rite, but it can also be a defense against anxiety and a tool of power (page 130).” She backs her claim by stating “photographs give people an imaginary possession of a past that is unreal, they also help people to take possessions of space in which they are insecure.” (Sontag page 131). In other words, having pictures allows people to tell stories that may not be exactly true. I agree with Sontag because I have witnessed and experienced how pictures can hurt someone emotionally while empowering others.

Ever since the camera was invented in 1839, the very nature of photography has been questioned. With the increasing advent of photographic technology, photography has become an egalitarian expression of society and community. With one press of a button, an image is captured for eternity, bringing to question the inherent artistic quality of photographs. If we can so quickly capture an image, can this be deemed art? Art is to promote fantasy, and dream, to incite anger and joy. Thus, surely photography is an art, as seen through its capturing of beautiful verdant landscapes, and the horrendous

When considering art, paintings easily come into mind, however conflicts arises when considering photography. It lies in a standstill between being and artform and being something else entirely. With modern advances in technology, photography has become a “talentless” profession in the sense that it can be easily be created with the click of a single button. Therefore, the aesthetics of photography really an artform when it is captured at the “right” moment rather than being staged and given an artificial meaning.

Sontag claims that “photography is, a social rite, but it can also be a defense against anxiety and a tool of power (page 130).” She backs claim by stating “photographs give people an imaginary possession of a past that is unreal, they also help people to take possessions of space in which they are insecure.” (Sontag page 131). In other words, having pictures allow people to tell stories that may not be exactly true. I agree with Sontag because I have witnessed and experienced how pictures can hurt someone emotionally while empowering others.

In her essay Photography at the Crossroads, Berenice Abbott advocates for the return of documentary photography at a time when commercial and fictitious approaches were dominating. Photography is the most creative medium available to capture the spontaneity of real life, and the essence of photographic art is realism (Abbott, 179). In her summary of photography’s development, Abbott describes the early stages as “truly spectacular” and commended the “sound American tradition” of realism – for example, portraiture and post-war geological documentation (180). She denounces the commercialization of photography – the use of props, constructed backdrops and retouching to create ostentatious painting-like photographs. Honest documentation was abandoned for sentimental painting-like images by photographers such as Henry Peach Robinson (Abbott, 181).

NYC-based photographer Lucea Spinelli’s latest series titled Phōtosgraphé explores the movement of light in photography and the perception of reality. Spinelli reminds us instantly of photography’s purpose and origin. It is defined as a process of drawing with light. Its etymology implies a compound of the greek words φωτός (phōtos) “light” and γραφή (graphé) which is defined as “drawing”. The fleeting movement of the illumination becomes the paintbrush on its canvas, the film. “Like a human eye, the camera receives impressions of light reflected off the world around us. “

However, this audience of New Yorkers is no stranger to waiting on the platform for a train, and there is no doubt that the fear, however fleeting, of being caught in the path of an oncoming subway has crossed their minds at least once. They are wholly familiar with the context of the photo, and the red “Q” that is visible on the front of the train makes it all the more real.  The difference between this photo and one that we have become desensitized to, say, a war photo, is the familiarity of the setting and context—the audience can nearly picture themselves standing on the platform beside the victim. The audience itself was able to relate to the victim and recognize the setting, forcing them to take notice rather than categorize it as just

Photography is a story people fail to put into words. You may or may not realize it, but you are constantly surrounded by photography. We share on social media and as well as make little or maybe even big impacts on the environment by sharing out social life with others across the world. In the article 6 reasons why photography matters, O’Neill points out that “Images are much more than a simple record. Photography speaks to the best and most generous part of our human nature – the desire to share what we find beautiful and interesting with others” (O’Neill 2012 . Everyday humans are documenting

“Cameras have evolved from a pinhole up to the latest and accessible SLRs and DSLRs. Underwater, disposable and film and digital cameras were also invented. The increasing knowledge of people to photography and cameras contributed a lot in order to make more innovations through the years. Therefore, taking photographs, recording images and moments, and sharing the art form became easy and fast” (Art of the Masses). Despite the fact that photography was intended solely for the

What is a photograph? The simplicity of taking a photograph leads many to ponder its artistic value. Yet, it is undeniable that there are some photos that cause an emotional reaction deeper than simply observing a recorded point in time. Surely, there are photographs that cause more reaction than some modern art pieces. There seems to be two types of photographs. The first classification is the ‘time capture’ photo – an image with the sole purpose of recording a particular event or point in time. The second nature of a photo carries a ‘deeper meaning,’ which has the ability to change the observer’s mood and cause a reaction. But what distinguishes these two varieties? There are a

However as the authors stressed, probably more significant than the change in how images are produced, distributed and used, are the ideas to which the changes are giving rise and how digital imaging is challenging and changing traditional ways of seeing and thinking. It seems that our traditional belief that ‘the camera never lies’ has been brought into question. It also appears important to consider who