On Photography
1973 • 224 pages
Ratings10
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings10
Average rating3.8
On Photography is a 1977 collection of essays by Susan Sontag. It originally appeared as a series of essays in the New York Review of Books between 1973 and 1977. In the book, Sontag expresses her views on the history and present-day role of photography in capitalist societies as of the 1970s. Sontag discusses many examples of modern photography, among these, she contrasts Diane Arbus's work with that of Depression-era documentary photography commissioned by the Farm Security Administration. ([Wikipedia][1])
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Photography
Reviews with the most likes.
the major takeaway would be the last chapter filling fully of quotes about photography and ways of seeing. i think some of the arguments overlap themselves, just retelling the same main ideas with regard to different photographers and “schools” of photography. this might not be a good introduction into aesthetic criticism, but informative enough.
