War And Photography Susan Sontag Analysis

In her lecture “War and Photography,” Susan Sontag discusses the role of photographs in raising awareness about human rights issues while simultaneously looking at the effectiveness of graphic images. She asks her audience to engage with how they respond to images that are a result of “concerned photography,” and how those images impact their understanding and memory of the human rights event. Sontag also grapples with how shocking images lose their effectiveness over repeated viewings, or over the course of time. Sontag primarily works with the phrase “war photography” to reference images of violence, abuse, or general chaos in war-stricken locations, but acknowledges that some of the practitioners of photojournalism call it “‘concerned photography’ or ‘photography of conscious.’” These additional titles lend graphic photos more agency, as they focus on how the images exist within the minds of their viewers. “Concerned photography” suggests that the photographer is actively troubled by its subject, and intends to share his/her perspective through the camera lens. “Photography of the conscious,” however, sheds light on the other side of photography, which is the perspective of the audience. This phrase connotates that the photography both resonates with the conscious of the viewer, and that it should. Sontag further explores these
These comments suggest that Sontag is devoted to engaging in a dialogue, as well as remaining open to further discourse. She additionally does not make any grand assertions about the need or role for photojournalism, but rather focuses on its effects so that her audience can work towards their own understanding of the importance of