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La fotografía como documento social

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La fotografía, que puede ser interpretada como elemento de conocimiento y como obra de arte con frecuencia, a la vez que información y arte, es un instrumento de comunicación sujeto a muchos avatares y a toda clase de manipulaciones. La historia de la fotografía no puede ser únicamente la historia de una técnica.

Puede afirmarse que La fotografía como documento social ( Photographie et Societé , 1974) es, no sólo el trabajo más importante de la autora, sino indudablemente el más ambicioso y profundo, por el tono del análisis de los hechos que nos relata a modo de historia sociológica, política y artística de la Fotografía, desde sus precursores hasta nuestros días.

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1974

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About the author

Gisèle Freund

48 books12 followers

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for David.
81 reviews3 followers
July 4, 2013
An sociologic essay on photography, covering the era from the creation of the first daguerreotypes until the 1980's (unfortunately digital pictures were not widespread yet when the book was written), focusing on the different uses of photography through time, how it developed, for whom and by whom, and on which purpose(s), how it turned from a bourgeois toy to an artistic device. A good complementary book to "on photography" by sontag...
Profile Image for applesaucevictim.
82 reviews
November 4, 2023
Freund’s analysis of the complex relation between photography and society uncovers a dramatic shift in the study of light and its effects on terrestrial life. This book is a helpful aperture into the dynamics of modernity and it’s mysterious [anti-?]nature.
“Now it was time to recognize the special laws of photography. Light in itself must be considered a creator of forms, and photography and film must be judged from this new point of view.” (pg.198)
Profile Image for Betül Arıcan.
64 reviews1 follower
June 10, 2019
Bir nevi "fotoğraf biyografisi" sanki, dünden bugüne fotoğrafın yolculuğu çok güzel işlenmiş.
Profile Image for vivz miranda.
102 reviews20 followers
April 12, 2025
impecable recorrido, recién me entero que ella es mujer.
Profile Image for Gurkan Gulcan.
37 reviews2 followers
May 20, 2024
Dijital fotoğrafı da içerse tam bir fotoğraf panoraması olurdu. Gisele Freund keşke bir 10 yıl daha yaşasaymış.
Profile Image for Tania Gonzales.
31 reviews
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August 29, 2023
La foto es uno de los lenguajes más comunes del ser humano. ¿Qué hace diferente un fotografo profesional y un aficionado? ¿Qué leyes hay detras? Gisele hace un análisis profundo sobre los temas que engloban a la foto, el periodismo y la sociedad
Profile Image for David Patricio.
73 reviews
August 6, 2021
Una chulada la manera en que presenta la historia de la fotografía, desde los franceses haciendo un desmadre por hacer aparatos gigantes hasta los desarrollos de Leica que permitieron hacer la foto algo profesional sin tanto problema. Además critica el desarrollo de la foto en distintos medios y como esta nos ha modificado los sentidos posicionando a la vista como el "Rey" de todos estos.
Profile Image for Elijah Hernandez.
16 reviews
December 29, 2025
Gisèle Freund’s "Photography and Society" (originally published in 1974 as Photographie et société) is a landmark sociological study that examines the medium not as a collection of aesthetic objects, but as a powerful tool shaped by—and shaping—the political, economic, and social structures of the modern world. Expanding on her 1936 Sorbonne dissertation, which was the first doctoral thesis ever written on the social history of photography, Freund argues that the rise of the medium was inextricably linked to the ascent of the bourgeoisie and the subsequent democratization of the portrait. She meticulously details how technological advancements, from the daguerreotype to mass-produced photojournalism, transformed the photograph from a luxury for the elite into a universal language that influences public opinion and collective memory. By analyzing the "uses and abuses" of the camera, Freund highlights the tension between the photograph's perceived objective "truth" and its potential for manipulation, ultimately positioning photography as an indispensable yet complex instrument of social change and mass communication.

Key Themes in "Photography and Society"
The Democratization of Art: How photography replaced expensive oil paintings, allowing the middle class to visually affirm their social status.

The Power of the Press: An analysis of how photojournalism changed the way society consumes news and perceives global events.

Mechanization of the Image: The transition from unique art pieces to mass-produced images in the age of technological reproduction.

The Subjective Lens: Freund’s belief that while the camera captures "reality," the photographer’s perspective and the social context are never truly neutral.

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Laetitia.
1,086 reviews6 followers
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February 27, 2024
Il pourrait �tre sous titr� � pour comprendre la photographie �� Freund nous fait le portrait de la photo, qui est pris qui croyait prendre � Elle est photographe, elle conna�t extr�mement bien l�objet qu�elle �tudie et elle nous emporte dans la merveilleuse histoire de la photographie.Pas assez de dates pour nous embrouiller l�esprit, juste assez pour comprendre l�histoire. Pas assez de d�tails techniques pour nous ennuyer, juste assez pour comprendre le m�canisme de l�outil�Ce livre se lit comme un roman. Le personnage principal est suivi de son enfance � sa maturit� � Tous les �ges de sa vie sont pass�s au microscope ou au macroscope par Freund. Avec ses victoires, ses erreurs et ses d�faites, la photo trace, conserve et transmet l�histoire et l��volution de notre soci�t�. C�est un portrait de la photographie et une photographie de la soci�t�.
Profile Image for Camille.
152 reviews27 followers
September 22, 2023
Gisèle Freund montre à merveille les liens entre les changements sociaux et la technique photographique. Pour Freund, la photographie apparaît dans le contexte de la montée de la bourgeoisie et s'inscrit dans la filiation de l'art du portrait.
Elle consacre de nombreuses pages à des sujets toujours d'actualité, comme la photographie amateur, l'art et la photographie, le droit et la photographie, la photographie et la propagande.
Profile Image for laribauu.
12 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2025
Muy buen libro. Es história, pero fácil de leer y con muchos detalles curiosos.

Me gustó mucho describrir que al surgir la fotografía hubo mucho debate en cuanto a si era arte o no, y como esta afectó otras areas de la cultura. Es interesante de leer, teniendo en cuenta los debates que hay hoy en día respecto al desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías con Inteligencia Artificial… la história no se repite exactamente, pero muchas veces rima.

Fue una lectura para la uni. Aprendí mucho.
Profile Image for Javier Perez.
8 reviews
February 3, 2025
A photographic study that transcends technique to explore the impact of the image on society. Through each capture, it reveals how photography not only documents, but also transforms the way we understand the world. A book that invites us to look beyond the frame.
Profile Image for James.
32 reviews1 follower
July 5, 2018
While some sections of the book are dated, it provides a phenominal overview of the impacts of photography on society - what changes brought about the invention of society and the further impacts that it had once photography became a new norm.
Profile Image for Carla.
78 reviews
March 6, 2024
He de admitir que me salte los últimos tres capítulos porque tenía datos muy técnicos y se me estaba empezando a hacer bola el libro, pero es muy bueno y me ha encantado leermelo
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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