The paper reconstructs the photography aesthetic conceptions found in the texts by two writers, namely Bolesław Prus and Ryszard Kapuściski. The former sets the problem of the picture within the scope of basic values, i.e. Usefulness, Perfńection, and Happiness. In the first aspect, a picture due to its faithfulness and credibility is fully appreciated. In the second aspect, connected with the problem of aesthetic value, Prus expresses the opinion that a picture is not a match to a painting but due to technical development these two could be made equal in the future. In the last aspect, the writer consistently maintains that a picture can neither substitute contact with a person nor remove the experience of elapsing time. In the latter writer’s reflection, the issue in question is refreshed and the picture gains a metaphorical status. As a result, there appears not only development of cognition but also confirmation and purification of reality.