On Photography: The Art of Making a Moment Eternal
When we are passionate about something, we easily get caught up in studying its techniques and styles. Susan Sontag’s 1977 book On Photography offers a unique perspective on photography. It broadens our understanding of this art form and invites photography enthusiasts to reconsider their passion.
On Photography delves into the essence of photography, exploring what we capture when we take photos, and its evolution throughout history. The book discusses how photographers' focus, concepts, and techniques have shifted throughout American history, from traditional realism to surrealism, anti-aestheticism, generalized documentation, and formalism to humanism. It also examines the tension between photography and painting, the relationship between photography and the real world, and the democratization of modern photography.
Reading this book is awe-inspiring due to Sontag’s profound thoughts. For instance, she discusses the intrusive nature of photography, which might discomfort photography enthusiasts, yet they recognize its power of “exposure.” She is not a photography enthusiast, which allows her to maintain a resolute and calm perspective on photography from a distance. Analyzing the essence of a cultural phenomenon can be quite complex, but Sontag dissects “photography” with surgical precision, each revelation showcasing the unique aspect of photography culture. One example is her exploration of the surreal quality of photography. On the surface, photography records and reflects reality, but images create their own world, offering a new perspective on reality.
Photography’s primary function is to record and express. Technological advancements have made it an accessible and fast way to reproduce moments. However, her words, “Most modern inventions that replicate life are, in fact, negating life, and cameras are no exception,” highlight how technology can lead to “experience fatigue.” People crave new experiences, and photography provides a way to document and process every moment, offering the illusion of novelty. As a fast-food-like medium for recording and expressing, photography allows everyone to compensate for mundane and repetitive experiences. Think about the popularity of Instagram and Snapchat, primarily catering to this modern need).
Although technology has dramatically enhanced photography’s recording capabilities, the people behind the camera are nothing if they only record the world by taking pic. In my eyes, photography’s charm lies in it being a medium for us to explore subjectivity unremittingly. For the latter, the photographer is everything. Photography grants everyone the power to examine their relationship with the world and provides a channel for free expression. Talented photographers capture “inadvertent” moments with their unique perspectives, infusing them with beauty, purity, and wonder.
Photography may not have a profound meaning, nor can it transcend its subjects like painting art can. Photography is even shallow; it focuses our attention on surface things. However, as a creative expression tool, it still provides space to transcend appearances while observing phenomena. The images that provide us with profound experiences capture hidden life and the ever-present inner dynamism and unique aspects, all through a surface gaze. Think of photographers like Vivian Maier, whose work reveals soulful, intriguing, and beautiful moments, or Rene MAltete, whose images are filled with humor and allow us to find joy in the world.
In this sense, Photography is a way to encounter another reality.
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