We can express what we really see as beautiful in the world. “A great photograph has to be a full expression of what one feels about what is being photographed in the deepest sense and is, thereby, a true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.” – Ansel AdamsĪdams believes that by taking a photograph we can express ourselves. In that way, photography is perhaps better than any other medium at helping us discover what is beautiful. Sontag goes so far as to say that if we’re taking a picture of something ugly, it’s because we see something beautiful within what is normally perceived as ugly.

Sontag makes the argument that photography can be a way for many people to discover beauty, in a way very similar to what Plato is talking about. Last week we discussed the importance of beauty for Plato – it’s a way to discover the Ideal Form of Beauty and thus move closer to knowledge. (The name under which Fox Talbot patented the photograph in 1841 was the calotype: from kalos, beautiful.) Nobody exclaims, “Isn’t that ugly! I must take a photograph of it.” Even if someone did say that, all it would mean is: “I find that ugly thing… beautiful.” – Sontag But many, through photographs, have discovered beauty… What moves people to take photographs is finding something beautiful. Nobody ever discovered ugliness through photographs. At times, I do miss the documentation that those photos provided of the trip though. I no longer take nearly as many pictures as I used to, and instead of bringing a camera bag full of equipment, I mostly stick to my cell phone camera.

After a while, I started wondering if the act of taking pictures was beginning to interfere with my enjoyment of actually being on the trip.

Sontag on photography