Chapter 2 (“America, Seen Through Photographs, Darkly”)

In this February meeting of the Sontag Book Club, we’ll discuss Chapter 2 of On Photography, where Susan Sontag explores how taking a photo transforms the world into a set of image-objects — things to be looked at, collected, and consumed.

No prior background in photography or theory is needed. This is a discussion‑based, welcoming space.

📚 We’ll also read a short excerpt or two from the chapter aloud together, so don’t worry if you haven’t had time to finish it.

📸 Optional Call to Action
Bring a photo of something you see every day but rarely look at.
It could be a wall, a plug, the corner of your desk — anything familiar enough to be invisible. Don’t worry about composition or beauty.

The goal is simply to notice what happens when we photograph something mundane — how the act of taking a photo makes it feel stylized, worthy of attention, even strange.