SHUTTER STORIES: Books to read on World Photography Day

ON PHOTOGRAPHY (Penguin, 1977)
Susan Sontag

Ironically a book without images or photographs, On Photography collects American philosopher, filmmaker and activist Susan Sontag's essays on the history of photography, its inherent voyeurism, and how it affects the way we perceive and experience the modern world through an often capitalist lens.

THE DECISIVE MOMENT (Simon and Schuster and Editions Verve, 1952)
Henri Cartier-Bresson

Cartier-Bresson, often thought to be the father of modern photojournalism, explicates the idea that the split-second scene captured in a photograph reveals a deeper meaning hidden within that image's corresponding socio-cultural landscape, revealing, in the process, the power of visual narratives.

THE NEGATIVE (Bulfinch, 1948)
Ansel Adams

A classic handbook by one of the 20th century's most iconic photographers, The Negative explores Adams' insights on artificial and natural light, film and exposure, darkroom techniques, and more.

KAMRA (2012)
Tanzim Wahab and Munem Wasif

This comprehensive take on photography, written in Bangla, engages with the history of photography as much as it does with debates in photographic theories through critical essays, interviews, and photographs, written and captured by Bangladeshi and international writers, critics, and photojournalists.

THE TIDE WILL TURN (Steidl, 2020)
Shahidul Alam

Comprising photographs and a brief but potent narrative, The Tide Will Turn follows Shahidul Alam as he reflects upon the history of political and artistic movements in Bangladesh and his experience while imprisoned at the Keraniganj jail following the road safety student movement of Bangladesh in 2018.