TRANSFORMING IDEAS ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY: SYSTEMATIZING EXISTING APPROACHES
Authors:   Tomsk State University (Tomsk, Russian Federation), Krasikova Ksenia V. 
Published: December 2021

The relevance of the study is to try to make sense of the changes in photography. The problem of research is the lack of a position in modern cultural studies on the essence of photography. The problem is methodological. The aim of the study is to study approaches to photography and their evolution. Research methods are associated with philosophical and cultural analysis of the problem. There are several approaches to studying photography. The author chooses those of them that will reveal the problem of changing the relationship to the essence of photography in the cultural and philosophical aspect. Susan Sontag says that photography takes on the importance of social ritual and is perceived as an instrument of self-approval. Andre Rouille defines the place of photography in modern culture and speaks of it as a certain cultural phenomenon, art technology. Here, Rouille contrasts his theoretical grounds with the views of Roland Barth. Rouille says that photography has universality, a total manifestation in culture, Bart, on the contrary, claims that photography is an object, the photograph itself contains an object that the photograph displays. Based on different views on the problem of the essence of photography, the author proposed a number of figure of merit by which it will be possible to trace the evolution of scientific approaches to the study of photography. Thus, three main figure of merit were developed, the first of which considers photography as part of culture. Photography becomes woven into the modern cultural layer, thanks to technological innovations. It ceases to be perceived as a separate document, but is seen by each user as an integral part of everyday life. The new digital culture dictates changes in the field of visual language. On the other hand, photography also remains part of art, this is the second criterion. The creative methods of artists, photographers are expanding significantly in modern art, photography is becoming part of many artistic practices. The third criterion is related to the philosophical understanding of the essence of photography. Many researchers aim to identify the primary basis of the photographic image. The findings of the study are related to the fact that photography is experiencing essential changes in connection with the advent of digital culture. Photography takes on the shade of a social element, which allows it to be part of a person's everyday culture. There is a significant transition from a document to a certain element of public relations. Its active manifestation in mass culture, social networks speaks of the importance of photography for modern culture. Ideas about photography are associated with the socio-cultural context of its existence. Susan Sontag in the second half of the 20th century spoke of photography as an integral part of social relations, today photography is perceived as a tool for constructing the worldview of modern man, it is said about her influence on aesthetics, the formation of a different reality.