First published in 1977, On Photography is a landmark collection of essays that examines the power and influence of photography in shaping how we see the world. Sontag explores how photographs not only capture reality but also interpret, frame, and sometimes distort it.

One of the most highly regarded books of its kind, she describes it as "a progress of essays about the meaning and career of photographs." The book opens with the famous In Plato's Cave essay, continues with five other meditative essays on photography, and concludes with a far-reaching Brief Anthology of Quotations.