A review by violetturtledove
Putting Myself in the Picture by Jo Spence

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

This is a fairly interesting book and hard to define. There's a little of the traditional memoir to it but it mainly focuses on ethical,  political, philosophical and psychological questions related to the practice of photography. There are some really interesting ideas explored around class,  feminism, healthcare and authority,  the sense of self and image, and how photography can be a tool for shaping the world rather than just capturing it 'as it is'. 

It's quite academic in places, but not too technical (the social aspects of photographing others are discussed rather than camera settings).

There's lots to think about here. Jo had an idea of the things that could be done if photography became something all people did for themselves rather than relying on the media. And now pretty much everyone has a camera in their pocket at all times. But what would she make of the way we use them?