Examination and Analysis of Photography Action Based on the Actant Network Theory ,Bruno Latour

Bruno Latour, the contemporary Philosopher and Anthropologist in the era of science and technology based on the actant-network theory with network-based approach looks at the creatures of the world and the existent relationships among them. In a way that world regardless of any prevalent categorizations and distinctions as real-unreal and natural-artificial is full of human and non-human activists and actant s that they are making new nexuses and networks in order to reach to their goals. All of the creatures either human or small and large creatures, technological artifacts and tools function as an actor in this world and in the networks they entered. In this way, the nature of each actant in within network and in relation and proportion with the other actors is changed and made. The concern of this theory is the study of the way of uniting different actors in within network. The theory of actant -network is one of the most important contemporary thought circles in studies of science (technologies, religion, anthropology, law) and technologies that is generalizable to art field especially, photography. Accordingly the photography production can be considered as a network actor and the product of uniting three factors of camera, photographer and the world that the way of uniting this factor with each other led to creating multifarious photos. Therefore, the aim of this study is examination and analyzing photography action based on the actant network theory, Bruno Latour. Consequently this essay is focused on the descriptive-analytic and adaptive method to answer this question that what the place and role of each of the main actants is in photographic practice means camera, photographer and the world in the process of photography production? The results demonstrated that in photography action, three factors as camera (as technological medium with multiple facilities), photographer (in position of human action with especial goals) and the world (as non-human action) are to synthesize and regardless of dominant look, each of them links with the other factors with different ways in the network and influences on the other actors and finally by interaction of them, one photo with especial and distinct features can be made. When each photo exposes to attention after production and supply in photography society can start role playing in within photography network as a new actor and led to create new nexuses and actions. From the beginning, that camera and its components have developed over time until now which digital technology have had a significant effect on photography; definition, nature, role and place of photographer and the world have changed in photography network. The shift from analog and green photography to digital and pixel element had not been merely a change in photography technologies and tools. But it made a revolution in the whole of network and the involved actors in photography field and paved the way for appearance of different orientations within photography network. Photography network is still changing as it affected by new actors arrival. Actant-network theory can be used for photo critique.