Ontological aspects of photography in the context of foreign studies of the twentieth century

The works of foreign authors of the twentieth century laid the foundation for the established theory of photography and became an incentive for its further reflection. The purpose of this study is to identify the content and dynamics of scientific ideas in understanding the nature and essence of photography, that is, its ontology, based on the material of foreign sources. At the same time, we used the method of critical reconstruction of scientific papers and the comparative method. Eleven of the most famous works of Western theorists were analyzed. At the same time, within the framework of the ontological approach, five elements of photography as an activity creative system were considered: the subject and object of photographing, the process of photographic representation, its result (work) and its spectator development. In each of the elements, the main essential features defining the existence of photography in general were noted. As a result of the research, the author comes to the conclusion that the possibilities of the ontological approach in the study of photography have not yet been exhausted, although they are limited by its timeless and static consideration. At the same time, the use of historical and genetic methodology, in which photography appears as a "living" dynamic phenomenon pulsating in concrete historical conditions, makes it possible to complement the established scientific picture.