Book review. On Photography by Susan Sontag

This book by Susan Sontag called On Photography was a difficult yet very satisfying reading. Why do we take images, can photography be considered art? How about the etical issues when it comes to capturing/ showing images which are emotionally disturbing?

This is a philosophical approach to photography. Susan takes us from the beginning of time, when the cult of images hasn't even started and takes us to the present. The book is a collection of essays and it is very well documented, including a lot of history, art and historical references. She talks about some of the legends of photography, from Ansel Adams to Stieglitz, Westman, Diane Airbus to name a few.

We now live in what Susan calls a "fotobulimic" society. We devour images and we can't get enough. I think it's disturbing to watch how people put on so many false masks to pretend they are something they're not. Now people take pictures for the likes, the follows, excluding the emotional charge from the process. I think of people like Lewis Hine who made a change in the world by taking pictures of the kids working in factories. He revealed a harsh side of reality which had to be seen. That is one of the biggest qualities of photography: to spark an emotion inside of you, changing the way you see reality.

I have made a long almost 2 hours review of this book that you can watch here

Have a gorgeous day and toodle loo!