After Photography

by Fred Ritchin

A fascinating look at the perils and possibilities of photography in a digital age. After Photography examines the myriad ways in which the digital revolution has fundamentally altered the way we receive visual information, from photos of news events taken by ordinary people on cell phones to the widespread use of image surveillance. In a world beset by critical problems and ambiguous boundaries, Fred Ritchin argues that it is time to begin energetically exploring the possibilities created by digital innovations and to use them to better understand our rapidly changing world. Ritchin―one of our most influential commentators on photography―investigates the future of visual media as the digital revolution transforms images into a hypertextual medium, fundamentally changing the way we conceptualize the world. Simultaneously, the increased manipulation of photographs makes photography suspect as reliable documentation, raising questions about its role in recounting personal and public histories. In the tradition of John Berger and Susan Sontag, Ritchin analyzes photography's failings and reveals untapped potentials for the medium. 50 color illustrations

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Theory, Philosophy, Criticism

200 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2008

Reviews

[Zenzile · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing book for photographers, artists and anyone concerned with the madness and wonder ushered in every millisecond by not just digital photography but the digital age at large! I have to admit that there are some very dense moments in the critique and I felt like running to my dictionary on more than one occasion, but essentially I feel that what Ritchin has to say about the possibilities for digital photography is so important. It really sort of put my feelings about my own use of digital technology in perspective and at the same time throws them into a quandary. I had just gotten my first beautiful digital SLR (single lens reflex for you non-shutter bugs) last Christmas and finally getting serious about learning about the craft and the technique of photography and and shaping my own personal voice through pictures. I was taking my first photography class at Cooper Union. I was so excited! And the one day while loitering in the photo essay section at B&N I picked up "After Photography" and all that blind irresponsible excitement came to a halt. The first few chapters kind of scared me.

I mean how about the fact that probably, due to the insane accessibility of digital cameras, there are at least 20 or so (I'm just grabbing a number, who knows) pictures of you that exist which you don't even know about, which you may never know about, which you may never want to know about. And while you live that number will only grow potentially. If you're an extrovert, maybe that's good. If you're a private person, you have no choice. Not a good time for the Pygmies who believe that photographs steal the soul of the subject.

Most of us are so closely connected to our techno-gadgets (phones, computers, cameras, twitter, facebook, GPS, etc) that essentially we are already represent a move towards an evolution that resembles that of quasi cyborgs or post humans as Ritchin states. We record without knowing it, collect things we will never see and create a trail of waste that seemingly marks us infinitely.

There are many such observations about the pitfalls of photography's perverse and voyeuristic sensibilities but just as many sharp and encouraging revelations about it's ability to educate, to connect and to evolve our minds.

I highly recommend it.

[Arya19 · Rating 4 out of 5]

La fotografia nasce come volontà di catturare l'attimo, il momento e di fissarlo nell'eternità. Ma cosa succede dopo la fotografia? Nei tempi di internet e dell'immediata circolazione delle immagini... Cosa implica lo scatto politico, la foto messa in scena o quella ritoccata, nella nostra mente? È in grado una sola fotografia di cambiare la storia? O la percezione che noi abbiamo delle cose?

Questo libro tenta non di rispondere a queste e ad altre migliaia di domande ma piuttosto di svelarci le infinite possibilità delle immagini, che sono sempre più soggette alla modifica e all'incomprensione.

[Ray Dunsmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disarmingly prescient look at the uses photography can (and needs to) fill in the strange, information-overload post-internet culture we find ourselves in. The most important book it seems nobody in a position to benefit from its ideas has read. Though some newer site redesigns seem to be moving past the old "do what worked on print and almost nothing else" model of web design, the fascinating possibilities laid out in this book make you do little more than wonder what the hell anyone's actually doing out there. The next time a boardroom member tells someone to "pivot to video," I hope they beat him about the face with this book until he blacks out.

For a book already a decade old writing about a culture that evolves so quickly, obsolescence is guaranteed for anything more than a month old, this is still a startlingly fresh book with extremely valid viewpoints and ideas. Teach this in colleges.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si bien siento que aún me falta muchísimo que absorber de éste libro, pude entender lo que representa y trata de mostrar, indescriptible e interesantísimo.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled across this book in the bookstore, and knew just by briefly flipping through it that it would be worth buying. I'm glad I did! It turned out to be a lively, provocative look at both what photography is and what it may become in the future. That said, it seems more like a series of related essays than a singular coherent vision of the future of the still image. Fortunately, this makes it more appealing; instead of making predictions about the future development of photography, a variety of possibilities are presented. The thing I enjoyed most was that each of these possibilities is presented both with a hopeful exuberance for what it has to offer as well as an almost-cynical overview of its pitfalls. The works used as examples of the various principles discussed were both new to me and interesting in their own right; it could almost serve simply as an enjoyable photo book. Best of all (and unlike some other musings on the topic I've read) is that finishing the book left me not with an idea of the way that photography must move forward in a digital world, but inspired to find my own way to approach photography while acknowledging both its documentary and artistic ambitions.

[dv · Rating 2 out of 5]

È raro trovare libri di teoria fotografica che dicano qualcosa che riesca a uscire dall'asse Benjamin-Barthes-Sontag. Ed è molto difficile scrivere di nuove tecnologie quando in pochi mesi tutto può cambiare. Questo libro si scontra con entrambi questi problemi, uscendone con le ossa abbastanza rotte. L'autore ha le sue responsabilità, scrivendo di cose per lo più già note (e vantandosi a un certo punto di essersi visto rifiutare alcuni articoli perché "troppo avanti") senza riuscire a fornire interpretazioni teoriche inedite. In più l'editore italiano qui ci mette del suo, pubblicando solo nel 2012 un testo del 2008. L'effetto deja-vu è assicurato.

[Merany Mathews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not expect that I was going to love this book but I couldn't put it down. Such a great analysis on not only how photography changed art and journalism but how it changed us, how we think, and how we go about the world. Richtin is skeptical and concerned about the future but not someone who is opposed to progress. His argument is complicated and thorough and he focuses much more on what new media can do to enhance photography and understanding rather than lament that it is destroying the world as we know it, which is a refreshing take.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting take on photography as it converts from analog to digital, Ritchin's analysis concerning photo manipulation and media literacy in the modern era is enlightening and a little frightening. While he veers a bit too much into fantastical philosophy when discussing potential future implications, he makes some excellent points about how to avoid "compassion fatigue", the endangered nature of individual privacy, and the evolving role of citizen journalism/activism - all the result of the increasing omnipresence of cameras in society.

[Mushii Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapter 5 : image, war , legacy

A great book for finding more indepth knowledge about photography and how much of an impact it has.

In the book the passage I found most eye opening ...


"We have to be very clear on this point: that the response is to the image, not to the man, since 99 percent of the voters have no contact with the man. It's not what's there that counts, it's what's projeted- abd it's...not what he projects but rather what the voter recieves. It's not the man we have to change, but rather the recieved impression".

[Margot Note]

I read this book during a Sunday 6 train ride into a the city and a long bath, and I can't stop thinking about it. The author is the director of pixelpress.org, which "encourage[s:] documentary photographers, writers, filmmakers, artists, human rights workers and students to explore the world in ways that take advantage of the new possibilities provided by digital media."

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thus far this book is very much what I was hoping it would be. Current and inter-disciplinary, it approaches photography from a wide perspective, placing it within the context of our wider contemporary culture.

[Reacher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting insights, but even in the 5-6 years since the author wrote this, many of Ritchin's concerns about digital photography have proven to be unfounded, which speaks to just how fast technology is evolving -- in many senses this book is already outdated.

[s2artM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eloquent argument for photography's continued use as a reportage medium in the 21st century. As an artist of course I have no interest in veracity or eyewitness accounts, but Mr. Ritchin has plenty of insightful things to add to the argument.

[Kala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillant commentary on how media shapes our view of the world...and how we shape media to match our view of the world. This book is thought provoking and absolutely enjoyable.

[Ryan Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off strong, then got a little too prophetic. A great and intriguing read, however.