Susan Sontag On Photography

Susan Sontag in her paper summarizes what photographs are and what modes photography can be used in everyday life.  She says, " they are a grammar and, even more importantly, an ethics of seeing"(3).  Photos are a way of life that has slowly become more readily available to the common person.  She also mentions the arrangements of photos and that books help preserve the longevity of the photos.  with the preservation it allows for the images to show change.  Photography, as Susan sates, "is mainly a social rite, a defense against anxiety, and a tool of power" (8).  Photography is used as many tools; tourism, family and past ties, experiencing something, an event, show desire, and time.