For the latter part of the 20th century, photographic practice has generally been discussed within a framework of modernist or postmodernist theories. Modernist photographic theory holds the art object dear, while postmodernist approaches believe the photograph to be a vehicle for the transference of power between larger cultural institutions. Such ideas have become stale in the wake of the 21st century, and a new photographic theory must be established to take into account the various media and processes currently available to photographers. The post-historical photographic movement, a loosely affiliated group of photographers who use historical photographic processes to explore contemporary themes, have sparked this need for a new approach to photographic discourse. By exploring the work of two photographers working within this movement — Jerry Spagnoli and Mark Osterman — we may come to a better understanding of where photographic practice is headed and what it means for our understanding of the medium. The modernist object and postmodernist message are not mutually exclusive, but exist in a symbiotic relationship that may be christened "interdependent photographic theory."