On Photography

Question 1:
 When Sontag states that "Even when photographers are most concerned with mirroring reality, they are still haunted by tacit imperatives of taste and conscience," she means that photographers want to photograph reality, but they don't seem to be happy until they get the picture they want. Photographers try to separate themselves when photographing, but we still make decisions and choices. Photographers try not to put too much into it, yet they still choose if they like the picture or not. They do this without thinking. They unknowingly put themselves into the photo. For example, the Farm Security Administration photographic project. It tried to illustrate the depression and poverty, yet the photographers were given specific requirements to go by. The photographers would go out and take dozens of photos and wouldn't be satisfied til they got a picture of what they thought the depression and poverty should look like. I agree with Sontag's claim. Even though photographers think they are being objective, they are still including a sliver of their opinions into the photograph.

Question 2:
In this quote, Sontag says that with photography a person can verify that they have done something or gone somewhere.  Sontag then goes on to say that the pictures are evidence that the vacation or trip was made and that they had fun. She says that when people are on vacation they can take pictures to show that they are having fun. She says "They have something to do that is like a friendly imitation of work: they can take pictures." I agree with Sontag's claim. Many people use photography to show that they were there and to show others what they were able to see. My grandparents travel all over the world. They always take pictures to show everyone what they did, where they went, and on what days they did what. My step-grandma makes a schedule and puts that in the scrap book as well as the pictures of her and my grandpa for example when they were in Italy they got someone else to take their picture while in front of the leaning tower and to make sure everyone could see that they were there, that it wasn't just a picture offline. These pictures clarified to everyone that they were in Italy and they had actually saw all these beautiful things and they had fun while in Italy.