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On Photography
 
 
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On Photography (Paperback)

by Susan Sontag (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Price For All Three: £17.18

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Product details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (27 Sep 1979)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140053972
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140053975
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 5,581 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #42 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Philosophy
    #85 in  Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Photography
    #90 in  Books > Study Books > Undergraduate & Postgraduate > Arts & Humanities > Photography, Film, Video & Animation

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Product Description

Product Description

First published in 1973, this is a study of the force of photographic images which are continually inserted between experience and reality. Sontag develops further the concept of 'transparency'. When anything can be photographed and photography has destroyed the boundaries and definitions of art, a viewer can approach a photograph freely with no expectations of discovering what it means. This collection of six lucid and invigorating essays, the most famous being "In Plato's Cave," make up a deep exploration of how the image has affected society.


About the Author

Susan Sontag is one of America's best-known and most admired writers. Her critical essays have established her as one of the leading commentators on contemporary culture. She is the author of several work of fiction and her non-fiction includes ILLNESS AS METAPHOR (Penguin Modern Classics). She has also written and directed four feature films and stages plays in the US and Europe.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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On Photography
80% buy the item featured on this page:
On Photography 4.1 out of 5 stars (9)
£6.46
Ways of Seeing (Penguin Modern Classics)
7% buy
Ways of Seeing (Penguin Modern Classics) 3.8 out of 5 stars (16)
£5.96
The Photograph: A Visual and Cultural History (Oxford History of Art)
5% buy
The Photograph: A Visual and Cultural History (Oxford History of Art) 3.8 out of 5 stars (6)
£7.77
Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography (Vintage Classics)
5% buy
Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography (Vintage Classics) 3.6 out of 5 stars (5)
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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 (6)
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3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes you think about photography in completely new ways, 1 Jan 2009
By brainleek007 (Manchester, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   
I'm in my first year of a photography degree and this is one of the recommended texts. Despite being released in the 70's it's still very relevant.

The book is essentially a series of essays by Sontag. It's value is that Sontag knows her subject extremely well and, with reference to the great photographers, has constructed her essays in a way that really make you contemplate what photography is all about. Sontag was not a photographer herself so it's not a book of technique; it's about the interpretation and appreciation of other's work. If you're new to photographic theory as I was/am it may very well make you feel quite ignorant, as if you don't even know what a photograph really is any more. However, that's the point; to make you think. This most ubiquitous medium is now so common its almost unnoticed but the book gets under the skin of what photography is and why photographs are so appealing. It's not the easiest or lightest reading but conversely the essays are not over long.

If you're studying photography or art or are simply interested in more philosophical views on the subject I'd highly recommend this to open up new ways of thinking.
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32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best source for photographic theory, 16 Feb 2006
By D Mann (Bedfordshire, UK) - See all my reviews
This is an exceptional book and one that is best read by flicking through and reading litery snap shots of Sontags work. If you are about to do a photography course this is the book for you and if you have ever wondered about photography this book will inform you. I read two short quotes from this book to my father in law who has no real connection with photography, he walked away and said 'i thought a photograph was just a photograph" and asked if he could borrow the book... Thats how good it is....
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56 of 68 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Work of Cultural Criticism, 3 Nov 2001
By Jason Clapham (Oxford, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This is just a fantastic book. It is packed full of genuinely insightful material through which the reader is driven with a prose style that is clear, unprentious and energetic - often rhapsodic.

Although the book has some content that is of particular interest to those living or interested in the United States, there is plenty that would appeal to any reader interested in photography generally and as a cultural phenomenon. Consider the following:

"Most tourists feel compelled to put a camera between themselves and whatever is remarkable they encounter. Unsure of their resonses they take a picture. This gives shape to the experience: stop, take a photo and move on. The method especially appeals to people handicapped by a ruthless work ethic - Germans, Japanese and Americans. Using a camera appeases the anxiety which the work-driven feel about not working ... "

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Insights into the world of photography
Sontag has created a 'Ways of Seeing' for the photographer, only with a lot more text! A controversial and stimulating read.
Published 2 months ago by Prospective Gapper

1.0 out of 5 stars People forget
Photography has always been a grubby little medium to most intellectuals and critics who came from a mainstream arts background. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Cakeman

3.0 out of 5 stars An Informative hard read
If you want to explore deeper into photography or do a course this book will be essential reading. It goes into detail about photographers who influenced the art and the... Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. mccosh

5.0 out of 5 stars Girl on Film
We were born into a world ruled by photography. From x-rays to holiday snaps, our memories and sense of self are now shaped by this magical little black box. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Oliver Redfern

5.0 out of 5 stars Definately worth a read
After reading various books on photography technique I decided to find books which covered the theory behind it all. Read more
Published on 14 May 2007 by L. Miles

3.0 out of 5 stars Its got it's uses but don't expect a gripping read.
If you are about to embark on a still image or photography course, get used to seeing this book, although it's one of the easier books of the kind to read it isn't really easy... Read more
Published on 14 May 2001 by The Mikestro

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