Picture Taking In Susan Sontag's On Photography

In Susan Sontag's On Photography, she develops a stance on both the ideal of photography and on the ideal of experience. Then she relates these to either either participating or just seeing. Throughout her published piece On Photography Sontag states explicitly that she believes that the art of picture taking is far superior to that of picturesque writing. Examples of her expressing her support can be found in lines 5-8, "What is written about a person or an event is frankly an interpretation, as are handmade visual state­ments, like paintings and drawings. Pho­tographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, minia­tures of reality that anyone can make or acquire."
However, she does draw differences between different methods of acquiring photographs. These differences are related between photography and experience. Sontag believes that if you take photographs for photos with specific details or unique …show more content…
Then you will be involved in your photos because you let your in the moment instincts decide, not your long term, analyzing traits. "A way of certifying experience, taking pho­tographs is also a way of refusing it" means that taking photos is a way of showing everyone that you have experience when it comes to snapping pictures, but photography can also show everyone that you are not experienced when it comes to taking photos. Sontag means that if you know to let the flow lead you when photographing then you have knowledge and experience picture taking. I support her view on the relationship between experience and seeing. You can't try too diligently when doing certain activities such as reading or fishing, because if you do you miss the beauty behind the