On Photography

On Photography is a 1977 collection of essays by American writer Susan Sontag. The book originated from a series of essays Sontag published in The New York Review of Books between 1973 and 1977. In On Photography, Sontag examines the history and contemporary role of photography in society. She contrasts the work of Diane Arbus with Depression-era documentary photography and explores the evolution of American photography from Walt Whitman's idealistic notions to the cynicism of the 1970s. Sontag argues that photography fosters a voyeuristic relationship with the world and can diminish the meaning of events. The book discusses the relationship between photography and politics and the tension between recording and intervention. On Photography received both acclaim and criticism, with some reviewers questioning its academic rigor.