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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Photographs in China are seen as another extension of _____________, which is why the film was misunderstood.

2. As a new art, photography constantly undergoes constant __________ as it must always be innovative.

3. Some champion total self ____________ for the photographer in order to capture subjects in the way that makes sense for an audience.

4. Most theories of art, according to Sontag, have only proven to be __________ in retrospect as well as in their own time.

5. __________ is difficult, tedious, and performed by skilled experts, according to Sontag in this book.

Short Essay Questions

1. In 1839, why was photography briefly attacked by those in society, according to the history lessons of this chapter?

2. What do cameras often reveal in the subject of the picture or in the object being photographed?

3. What was the progression of photography in relation to its artistic status, according to this chapter?

4. Why is it so simple for people in society to collect photographs, according to the text in this chapter?

5. Why are photographs considered to be a superior form of recording information, even more so than writing?

6. What discussion does false photography illuminate in regards to the essential division in photography?

7. How are vapid or banal objects made beautiful when they are photographed, according to this chapter?

8. What do the Chinese tastes prefer to see in their films, which made the Italian director a poor choice for the documentary on Chinese life?

9. What is one of the methods of falsifying photographs without changing the photograph itself?

10. What does modern photography seem to say about this subject of the photograph and its importance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Plato's cave, the prisoners are only able to see the shadows of what is real, not the actual objects.

Part 1: Why do you think Sontag used this image to begin a discussion of photography?

Part 2: How would life be different if you could only see shadows?

Part 3: Do you think you'd like a world in which all you saw were the shadows? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Sontag also points out that some photographers are moralists, trying to identify a world vision.

Part 1: How do you think photographers are moralists? How does this label work?

Part 2: Why is it important to identify a world vision? Or isn't it?

Part 3: Is photography necessary in order to understand morality? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

False photography becomes another important concern in the art of photography, with false caption being included on some photographs.

Part 1: Why do you think some photographers use false captions with their photographs?

Part 2: Do you think it's 'right' to use captions which falsely describe a photograph? Why or why not?

Part 3: How do you think the photograph changes when a false caption is used?

(see the answer keys)

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