Mirrors and windows was a photography exhibition consisting of 127 photos at the museum of modern art in New York 1978, created by John Szarkowski. The exhibition was created because Szarkowski wanted to categorise photos into two categories.

Mirrors: are photos which mirror the photographer’s feelings/what they are trying to portray.

• Words which associate with mirrors are: personal, expressive, subjective.

• Some photographic examples include: Self Portraiture and Tableaux photography.

Windows: are photos which act a window for the viewer so they can view an image which is documented as what the photo actually is in reality.

• Words which associate with windows are: real, documentative and objective.

• Some photographic examples include: Candid, Documentary photography and Natural landscape.

Szarkowski described the exhibition as “a fundamental dichotomy in contemporary photography between those who think of photography as a means of self-expression and those who think of it as a method of exploration.“

Example of mirror photos

This photo could be seen as a mirror because it is staged and the photo is taken in the view of the photographer, Nan Goldin, and is of people he knows.

Example of window photos

This photo is an example of a window as it is just a photo of a landscape by Ansel Adams the photo documents the landscape and it is what it is shown. As it is all subjective it could be a bit of a mirror image as Ansel Adams had a passion for Yosemite national park and he could be trying to portray his passion for the landscape and scenery of the park by taking this photo to show his view of the park.