Sontag, Photography

In her article, "On Photography," Susan Sontag discusses points of how people have used the art of photography in the past and how people use it today, how changes in photography has 'claimed our attention.' There were plenty of specific quotes she said that I found intriguing. From the two chapters,two points I'd like to respond on is how Sontag reports 'photographs furnish evidence,' and how in earlier decades, photographs were taken of something containing beauty.

In chapter 1, Sontag states how 'photographs furnish evidence.' By that phrase she meant that we, as people, do not believe everything we hear, but if we see a photograph of it, it seems more realistic or true. I agree because anybody can start a rumor based on their own assumptions and it does not mean that it is technically 'true' or 'false,' but if we were to see a picture of something reported, there is a possibility that the photograph is more accurate information than 'word-of-mouth.' For example, in the entertainment industry, paparazzi take pictures of famous people to show the world everything about that person, whether it is what they are doing, what they have on, or who they are with, and because we see these pictures we believe it as if we were to hear about it on the radio.

In chapter 2, Sontag states that 'in earlier decades, a photographers' aim [was] to photograph something beautiful,' but Edward Steichen photographed a milk bottle to aim at a different type of beauty. If it was not for Steichen for taking a different approach on photographing objects, photography probably would not be as unique as it is today. Beauty is defined differently among people. All things possess beauty in one way or another, it is how the photographer decides to capture it to make it appeal beautiful to all.

Photography is different today. Technology is rising at a faster rate by the days, making things possible and easier than they were when photography first began. Photographs capture so many things; they capture memories, beauty, love, and many other interpretations depending on how the photographer chooses to present it, but as Sontag stated, "being educated by photographs is like being educated by the older, more artisanal images." It is not always what is photographed, but how it is photographed.