Photography Is How We See

It is both an act of seeing and a way of questioning what we see. Photography is How we See brings together photobooks curated by students at Purchase College, offering a layered exploration of identity, environment, and history. These works are not just collections of images—they are arguments, reflections, and investigations into the forces that shape our understanding of the world.

Through race, class, and gender, these students use photography as a tool of inquiry, pushing beyond representation to examine the complexities of human experience.  Many of these photobooks function as self-portraits, revealing deeply personal introspections made public. Others turn outward, confronting social and political structures with images that challenge, document, and reimagine.

The environment emerges as a central theme, with students addressing pressing global issues through visual storytelling. These books ask what it means to live in a changing world, capturing both the beauty and the damage inflicted by human hands. Some works speak in quiet observations, others in bold statements, but all insist on a heightened awareness of our surroundings.

History weaves its way throughout these pages, situating these books within the larger history of photography while also questioning, deconstructing, and decolonizing it. By juxtaposing past and present, these books expose the ways history shapes our perceptions, often challenging what we assume to be true. In doing so, they create a dialogue between what was and what is, pushing against traditional photographic narratives and opening space for new, more inclusive understandings.They invite us to look, to read, and to reconsider how we see.