From scientific and documentary photography to the more purely aesthetic, the camera has become a part of American culture at every level. Photography in America 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.