On Photography by Sontag

On Photography by Susan Sontag could be read as an educational narrative on the evolution of photography. Throughout the article, she describes many different ways how photography can be used in many different aspects of life in the world today. Photographs can be used for educational purposes, evidential purposes, and also they can prove the discovery of something.

One way that photography can be very useful is in the detective world. Photographs can be used as evidence in many crime scenes. If there was any photographs that were taken during the time of the crime, then it could prove the guiltyness of the person that committed the crime. Photographs are taken after the crime was committed in order to have legitimate evidence of how the crime scene originally looked after the crime was committed. Detectives cannot rely on the trust of others to make sure that the crime scene isn't tampered with throughout a period of time. Susan states that "photographs furnish evidence. Something that we hear about, but doubt, seems proven when we are shown a photograph of it." And then she states that "a photograph passes for incontrovertible proof that a given thing happend. The picture may distort, but there is always the presumption that something exists, or did exist, which is like what's in the picture."

For the educational purpose, photographs can instill the many lessons that can be learned from a single picture. A visual aide such as a still photograph can teach and explain so much more than a moving picture

The Corporation

The documentary, "The Corporation" was a great video that explained many different aspects of the business world that everyone sees, but not too many people know the full details behind each business and what their plan seems to be. This documentary shows the side of the business world that most people don't necessarily know. For starters, the film states that a corporation is considered to be a "legal person" that can buy and sell goods and services, and it can also be sued, and can sue others. This "legal person" can buy a property in another country, employ workers to make its products for a wage of two cents to ten cents an hour. Once the economy in that country is raised due to the pay of that particular corporation, the workers no longer are as desperate to work for such low wages. At this time, the corporation sells that property, and then moves on to the next third world country, and repeats the same process.

The film focuses strongly on the advertising portion of the business world. It explains how businesses these days don't use advertisements to promote a product or service for the good of mankind, but instead, they promote it in order to increase sales, and get a larger profit. 

One of the biggest aspects of advertisements is branding. Naomi Klein speaks in great detail about branding in her book "No Logo." Branding is basically the big name logo that is put on a product that supposedly give the consumer a way of life. Big name products help people identify with a company especially if they have seen many advertisements for that specific product, but it doesn't mean that the product in itself is necessarily the best product out there, instead it just gives people a sense of security. Many businesses use advertisements to promote a "way of life" rather than a particular product. This makes people think that if they buy that particular product, they will live a better and happier life. It's a great way to get more sales, but it's a also a great way to trick people. Basically, it's a very well thought out scam of making people believe that they are getting more than they really are.

No Logos vs. Ohman

Both Klein and Ohman talk about the dangers that our culture may face if the way our society looks at the "brand names" and advertisements as the only way to go. At the same time, they also have different topics within the general topic that the two authors focus on. Ohman really focuses on the advertisement issues, while Klein focuses on issues such as buying the Brand name products.
Klein's ideas propose a solution of instead of buying the brand name products that might have been made by children in a sweat shop in a foreign country, buying the private label that was more than likely made in the U.S. This will not only eliminate the stage that the society has put itself into of buying the most expensive just because it was greatly advertised, but also it will help save a lot of jobs in the U.S.
Ohman's topics of the problems with advertising are very similar to Klein's as well. The advertising is one of the main reasons why people buy the "brand name" products instead of the private label products. This doesn't necessarily do a lot of good for the culture in itself.