What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedOn Photography
Susan Sontag · Book · 1977
If you loved On Photography, start with Simon Schama's Power of Art (Simon Schama, 2006) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to On Photography across media.
What hooked you in On Photography was the way the camera acts as a critical lens to interrogate reality and power.
Films on the same thread
Night and Fog
Alain Resnais · Film · 1956
Explores: collective memory, the banality of evil, witness testimony.
Much like the meditations in On Photography, this film uses the archive to confront the ethics of viewing atrocities and the weight of collective memory through the camera lens.
Man with a Movie Camera
Dziga Vertov · Film · 1929
Explores: Urban modernism, Meta-cinematic self-reflexivity, Industrialization.
If you valued the analysis of the photographer's role in On Photography, this experimental work mirrors that meta-cinematic awareness by documenting the mechanical observation of modern urban life.
Blow-Up
Michelangelo Antonioni · Film · 1966
Explores: Existential ennui, Obsessive investigation, The nature of reality.
This film dramatizes the central questions posed in On Photography regarding the nature of reality and how the act of capturing an image can distort our perception of truth.
City of God
Fernando Meirelles · Film · 2002
Explores: Poverty and Violence, Cycle of Crime, Lost Innocence.
This narrative explores the power of images as a tool for survival and social identity, echoing the concerns found in On Photography about how photography shapes our lived experiences.
Series on the same thread
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Carl Sagan · Series · 1980
Explores: Cosmology, Origin of Life, Scientific History.
Sagan provides a grander scale of observation than On Photography, yet he shares the goal of using visual media to fundamentally shift our perspective on the human condition.
Life on Earth
Series · 1979
Explores: Evolution, Biodiversity, Natural Selection.
Just as On Photography examines the medium as a record of existence, this series uses the camera to document the evolution of life across the vast expanse of time.
Simon Schama's Power of Art
Simon Schama · Series · 2006
Explores: Artistic Genius, Creative Process, Historical Context.
This series offers a historical context for artistic masterpieces that complements the essays in On Photography, focusing on the creative process and the cultural impact of visual art.
American Masters
Susan Lacy · Series · 1986
Explores: American Culture, Artistic Achievement, Historical Impact.
These biographies extend the cultural criticism found in On Photography, providing a deep look at the lives of artists who, through their work, have left an indelible cultural impression.
Podcasts on the same thread
Philosophize This!
Stephen West · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Existential inquiry, Critical thinking, Evolution of ideas.
If the philosophical inquiry in On Photography resonated with you, this podcast provides an accessible survey of the ideas and thinkers that have fundamentally shaped our modern world.
Maintenance Phase
Aubrey Gordon & Michael Hobbes · Podcast · 2026
Explores: scientific literacy, consumer protection, critical thinking.
This show applies the same critical scrutiny to wellness culture that On Photography applies to images, demanding a higher level of scientific literacy and skepticism from the audience.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the structure of On Photography?
On Photography is a collection of six essays authored by Susan Sontag. The book begins with the essay titled In Plato's Cave and continues with five additional prose meditations that explore the meaning and career of photographs in modern society.
When was On Photography first published?
On Photography was first published in 1977. Since its release, the work has become highly regarded and received the National Book Critics' Circle Award for Criticism, solidifying its status as a significant collection of essays regarding the nature of the photographic medium.
Is On Photography considered a critical work?
Yes, On Photography is recognized as a major critical work. It earned the National Book Critics' Circle Award for Criticism and is described by Susan Sontag as a progress of essays focused on the meaning and career of photographs rather than a technical manual.
How does Susan Sontag describe On Photography?
Susan Sontag describes On Photography as a progress of essays about the meaning and career of photographs. The book consists of six meditations, starting with the famous essay In Plato's Cave, which examines the role and impact of images in our culture.