"In America, the photographer is not simply the person who records the past, but the one who invents it"
- Susan Sontag
About this Quote
This quote by Susan Sontag talks to the power of photography in America. It suggests that professional photographers are not simply passive observers of history, however active creators of it. They are not simply recording the past, but actively shaping it. This is particularly real in America, where the power of photography is particularly strong. Photography has the power to form popular opinion, to influence the way individuals believe and feel about certain concerns, and to develop a narrative about the past. By taking control of the narrative, photographers can form the way people view the past and the present. In this method, photographers in America are not just taping the past, however actively inventing it.
About the Author