From scientific and documentary photography to the more purely aesthetic, the camera has become a part of American culture at every level. explores the medium from a variety of angles—portrait, landscape, photojournalism, documentary, creative digital photography, and postmodern critique of the image—in order to help students understand its impact and meaning. Organized by genres and modes, this text traces the history of a medium considered central to American culture by examining its different uses, going back to its beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century and looking forward to its future.