Diving Into Platos Cave by Susan Sontag

PHOTOGRAPHY | DESN 350

Chad Ohl
Chad Ohl
Nov 1 · 2 min read
“Most tourists feel compelled to put the camera between themselves and whatever is remarkable that they encounter.”

In the reading titled, Platos Cave, written by Susan Sontag, we are taken on a deep dive into the photograph, it’s implications on society, and what a photo is in the purest meaning. I’ll be honest, I found most of this reading extremely hard to grasp due to its focus on obscure philosophies, and it’s overly pretentious take on the topic as a whole. With this said, I felt the reading was trying to be less of a statement of facts, and more of an expression of what photography is, through the lens of an artist. Hah.

“Although there is a sense in which the camera does indeed capture reality, not just interpret it, photographs are as much an interpretation of the world as paintings and drawings are.”

My favorite section of this reading was on the topic of how we use photography as a means to document evidence, especially while traveling or on vacation. In the way it was presented — how we use it to prove that “fun was had” — felt extremely dark, while extremely accurate to current times. I feel it could be argued that this idea has extended past the use of just travel/vacation, but applicable to modern youth and the feeling to capture almost every interesting moment for social media. A Black Mirror-Esque thought that leaves wonder to where we’re heading as a society.

“Recently, photography has become almost as widely practiced an amusement as sex and dancing-which means that, like every mass art form, photography is not practiced by most people as an art. It is mainly a social rite, a defense against anxiety, and a tool of power.”
“Photography has become one of the principal devices for experiencing something, for giving an appearance of participation.”
“The omnipresence of cameras persuasively suggests that time consists of interesting events, events worth photographing.”
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade