On Photography

Howdoweseetheworldaroundus?"ThePenguinonDesign"seriesincludestheworksofcreativethinkerswhosewritingsonart,designandthemediahavechangedourvisionforever.SusanSontag'sgroundbreakingcritiqueofphotographyasksforcefulquestionsaboutthemoralandaestheticissuessurroundingthisartform.Photographsareeverywhere.Theyhavethepowertoshock,idealizeorseduce,theycreateasenseofnostalgiaandactasamemorial,andtheycanbeusedasevidenceagainstusortoidentifyus.Insixincisiveessays,Sontagexaminesthewaysinwhichweusetheseomnipresentimagestomanufactureasenseofrealityandauthorityinourlives.