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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Gosh easily one of the best books I’ve read, with lots of food for thought, interesting takes, and many highlights/notes. I immersed myself in this slowly and thoroughly. I can’t stop thinking about what Susan Sontag would think of photography’s influence in culture today, especially with TikTok/Reel internet era. Maybe I should write an essay?
Really I'd give this a 3.5 but I'll round it up because it really got me thinking. I would love to see someone take up sontag's ideas and engage with how genocide is being beamed into our pockets in HD 1080p photos and videos every day, and what effect that is having on people and the broader political movements we're seeing. what effect do these pictures have? how will people look at them in 10 or 20 years time? how can you even begin to look through them all? more to do there.
But on the actual book. The overall idea of the book that has already been well covered by other reviewers (image vs reality) is interesting. I'd love to see someone take up the gauntlet there and consider how everyone being a potential target for being photographed/videoed at any moment fits with that idea.
that said I found sontag's style judgemental and, at times, maddeningly cynical. A bit too 'guns and cameras the same because both loaded and shoot. violence.' as well, the idea that taking a photo is the beginning of misinterpreting events and people feels like a very limiting view, but I need to think about it more.
But on the actual book. The overall idea of the book that has already been well covered by other reviewers (image vs reality) is interesting. I'd love to see someone take up the gauntlet there and consider how everyone being a potential target for being photographed/videoed at any moment fits with that idea.
that said I found sontag's style judgemental and, at times, maddeningly cynical. A bit too 'guns and cameras the same because both loaded and shoot. violence.' as well, the idea that taking a photo is the beginning of misinterpreting events and people feels like a very limiting view, but I need to think about it more.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
reflective
informative
inspiring
informative
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Read like an encyclopaedia. Hard to not have your eyes roll back inside your head out of boredom. Felt like a journal entry of just dumping every thought she could on photography. She made some good points but some pretty stupid ones too. Disappointed.