Review on Sontag's On Photography

 Review on Sontag's On Photography 

         Sontag insists photography is an aggressive act which makes reality atomic, manageable, denies interconnectedness and continuity, and confers on each moment the character of a mystery. Alienating us from direct experience, the photo provides a more intense second-hand experience, an illusion of knowledge 

A section at the end of the book collects several quotations on the topic of photography. Nonetheless, Sontag provides what could be the most conclusive understanding of On Photography's major themes. She writes near the end of the book, "The final reason for photographing everything is the reasoning of consumption itself. To consume is to burn, to deplete—and thus to require replenishment." So, photography is a truly capitalist art form, constantly creating more supply and demand with each shutter click. Is that, however, enough to elevate it to the same level as other types of art? Is it sufficient to leave photography to its cold, mechanical devices? 

The first essay speaks on how individuals view photographs in the similar fashion of Plato's cave. Just like in Plato’s cave, the prisoners believed that the moving figurine shadows were actual humans because their visual field was limited to one direction only, Photographs also tend to function in an analogous manner. Providing a tiny glimpse of a snapshot taken would not give you reality but only a token of reality, therefore, disrupting reality. What is meant to be a glimpse of reality might just be something that distorts the very same reality it failed to capture which it claims to do so. Or it can be both at the same time. She lashes the ambiguous nature of photography but also the impact they hold whilst being critical of it. 

The essay makes the readers think and question. Photography being a visual medium, she dwells on the aspect of one being expected to work within the limits of beautifying things which can be problematic. Humans are wired to find beauty comforting and safe and hence photography is so appealing to us. But she also conveys that this aspect of beautifying things desensitizes the eye making things look photographic and aesthetically pleasing rather than just beautiful which is a negative connotation. Not only does desensitization work in this manner, but in the context of capturing grotesque things like murder evidence, or coverage of the war, pollution, and famine which makes it look aesthetically pleasing, therefore beautifying it and intern also desensitizes us to this imagery which is extremely concerning. 

"But essentially the camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own"