We are surrounded by photographs. Some of these have an impact and resonate; many are banal and simply pass us by. In this week’s topic we explore the idea of ‘reading’ a photograph. We ask how we decipher or ‘decode’ an image and question the factors that might influence how we interpret images, both on an individual level as well as collectively. We look at semiotics – an important discipline in relation to photography and mass media theory – and at how context can determine how an image or a combination of photographs is interpreted.
Photo used in webinar.
Q. How am I feeling – before seminar?
A. Slightly tired, slightly concerned about getting first assessment done (well).
First reaction to photo: sleeping, at peace. Less so, when zoomed in – face particularly. Blood on side of neck. oddness of no boots/shoes. Army kit.
[Luc Delahaye, Taliban, 2001 from series History]
Others suggested: sadness, muted colour pallete.
Q. What are you looking at?
socks, wallet (above), army, young, straw across face, scrub/arid landscape
Others: grave, looted, dirty socks so boots removed before got to that final position. Possibly rolled over edge of trench.
Q. What category of photography does this fit into.
A. Reportage.
Others: for art gallery, in a series. Over 2 metres.
Q, Why is context where photo is expected to be seen significant
A.
Q. What do you know for certain about the image?
A. Some time after.
Q. Why did Jesse show us it?
A. Important however uncomfortable.
Q. what did the author intended?
A. Discomfort to illustrate the futility of war for western audience
Q. What decisions made to convey the message?
A. Deliberate serenity. (and therefore deliberately problematic).
High vantage point. Looking into the grave. Not too far, not too close – observing. Respectable distance. Not being (too) voyeuristic.
Detached (distance). Objectifying. Same distance/scale as leaves emphasizing his apparent unimportance
Renaissance painting style. Christ-like positioning.
Controversial photograph but a classic stereo-typical “death” positioning of the body.
Historic paintings. epic scale.
Caravaggio – the entombment of Christ https://www.caravaggio.org/the-entombment.jsp
The raft of the medusa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raft_of_the_Medusa#/media/File:JEAN_LOUIS_TH%C3%89ODORE_G%C3%89RICAULT_-La_Balsa_de_la_Medusa(Museo_del_Louvre,1818-19).jpg
Liberty Leading the people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People#/media/File:Eug%C3%A8ne_Delacroix-_Le_28_Juillet._La_Libert%C3%A9_guidant_le_peuple.jpg
Q. Do any of your own experiences inform your response or analysis?
A.
Q. How do your personal beliefs. attitides and values affect or explain your critical and emotional response to the image?
A.
Q. How am I feeling now [at end of seminar]?
A. Slightly enlightened. Interesting to get other people’s perspectives.
Q. What challenged you?
A.
Q. What surprised you?
A.
Q. What do you feel you learned?
A.
Consider also the points raised in the presentation. What factors influence how you might read and interpret photographs. Think about:
Q. Your family and social background and your heritage.
A.
Q. Your upbringing, values and education.
A.
Q. The kind of art you were exposed to and at what points in your life.
A.
Q. The literature and philosophical and/or political ideas you have been exposed to.
A.
Q. Significant changes or events in your life that might have shifted your perspective when it comes to ‘decoding’ images.
A.
The significance of context. The idea that a photo can (deliberately) take on different meanings
depending on the context in which it is viewed: magazine, library, gallery, [Jessica Evans chapter]
Colin’s Webinar.
Mainly discussion about the 2 Barnado images. Colin wrote an article that includes references to the images. https://witness.worldpressphoto.org/empathy-charity-emotional-narratives-and-cash-a0e68880cef9 It made me think about the ethics employed by the photographer. Could the deception be an acceptable price to pay for raising funds?
My initial reaction to this image was poverty/disaster tourism but I guess that was the idea. It won the award because the judges decided it revealed the “complexity and contradiction of real life, amidst chaos.”
Authors who have written about analyzing photographs
- Roland Barthes – Camera Lucida (1980)
- Susan Sontag – On Photography (1977)
- John Berger – Ways of Seeing (1972) Available online through University
- Rosalind Krauss – Photography’s Discursive Spaces: Landscape/View” (1982)
- Victor Burgin -“Thinking Photography” (1982)
- Paul Martin Lester – Visual communication; images with messages (9th Edition 2020.)
8 ways to understand an image (David Perlmutter),
- Production – how was it made and how are the elements combined
- Content identification – what are the key elements and what story is being told
- Functional – what is the context and how was it put to use
- Expressional – what emotions are conveyed and how they translated across cultures
- Figurative – how are the symbols and metaphors employed and are they any culturally sensitive elements
- Rhetorical/Moral – philosophical justifications for making the work. What responsibilities producer has to the subject and viewer
- Societal or Period – how does the image reflect the times and what does it communicate to future generations
- Comparative – how does it relate to existing photos – by other photographers and other works by the same photographer.
13 steps to prepare for thorough analysis
- Inventory – what are all the things you see in the photo
- Composition – how do the individual parts contribute or distract from the whole.
- Visual Clues – how do the colour, form, depth and movement elements interact and conflict
- Semiotic Signs and Codes [See below for Semiotics iconic, indexical and symbolic definitions]
- Cognitive Elements – how do the following contribute to understanding the image?
- Memory – personal/historical references from that time
- Projection – what do you assume when you see certain components
- Selectivity – honing in on specific components. what dominates.
- Habituation – are you familiar with the context or interested specifically because you are not familiar.
- Salience – does your personal experience offer further insight due to familiarity with the subject
- Dissonance – what jars in the image
- Culture – what cultural references are there. do any of them clash.
- Words – does the caption/accompanying narrative provide more clues.
- Purpose of the work – why was the work made? Personal, news, documentary, art, scientific ..
- Image Aesthetics – anything about the image that makes it compelling to look at? Do you want to see more work by the artist.
6 perspectives for analyzing images
- Personal – initial reaction based on personal opinions/viewpoints/bias
- Historical -is there additional significance due to the era when it was taken. Research may be required.
- Technical . How was the image produced? Do all the technical components work – light, composition, context of how it is displayed
- Ethical **
- Cultural – identifying symbols and metaphors and how they apply to society. [See semiotic definitions below]
- Critical – draw conclusions about the medium, the culture from which it was produced, and the viewer. What lessons does the image have for those who view it?
** 6 principal ethical philosophies can be used to analyze a photo
Descriptive ethics – how things behave. Normative ethics – how they should behave.
- Golden rule – love your neighbor as yourself
- Hedonism – Paparazzi (aesthetic pleasure, monetary gain, awards)
- Golden mean – finding a middle ground
- Categorical imperative – Right is Right.
- Utilitarianism – The greatest happiness to the greatest number
- Veil of ignorance – all people considered equal. Walk a mile in someone’s shoes.
Some reasons ChatGPT [6/23/23] thinks black and white photos can be seen as inherently more artistic than colour:
- Historical Precedence: Black and white photography predates color photography, and many iconic and influential photographs from the early days of the medium were captured in black and white. This historical association can lend a sense of timelessness and authenticity to black and white images, leading to their perception as more artistic.
- Aesthetic Appeal: Black and white photography can evoke a sense of nostalgia, simplicity, and elegance. The absence of color allows viewers to focus more on other visual elements such as form, texture, light, and shadow. The monochromatic palette can create a sense of mood and drama, emphasizing contrasts and emphasizing the composition.
- Abstraction and Symbolism: Removing color from a photograph can enhance its abstract qualities and allow viewers to interpret the image in a more symbolic or metaphorical way. Black and white photos can emphasize shapes, patterns, and tonal range, leading to a more minimalist and conceptual interpretation of the subject matter.
- Distancing from Reality: By eliminating color, black and white photography can create a sense of detachment from reality and provide a more interpretive or subjective representation of the world. It can evoke a sense of timelessness or otherworldliness, encouraging viewers to engage with the image on a deeper level.
Authors who discuss this:
- John Szarkowski: “The Photographer’s Eye” (1966)
- David Alan Harvey: “(based on a true story)” (2012)
What ChatGPT [6/23/23] says about how semiotics relate to photography.
- Signs and Signifiers: Semiotics examines signs, which are the elements that carry meaning, and signifiers, which are the physical or visual manifestations of those signs. In photography, signs can be objects, people, landscapes, or any visual element within the frame. The signifiers are the visual representations of these elements, such as shapes, colors, textures, and compositions.
- Denotation and Connotation: Semiotics distinguishes between denotation, the literal or surface-level meaning of a sign, and connotation, the cultural or symbolic associations and interpretations that a sign carries. In photography, the denotation refers to what is literally depicted in the image, while the connotation refers to the broader meanings, emotions, or ideas that the image may evoke based on cultural, social, and personal contexts.
- Icon, Index, and Symbol: Semiotics categorizes signs into different types: icons, indexes, and symbols. Icons in photography are signs that bear a resemblance or similarity to what they represent, such as a photograph of a person’s face. Indexes are signs that have a causal or direct relationship with what they represent, such as smoke indicating the presence of fire. Symbols are signs that have an arbitrary or conventional association with their meaning, such as a red rose symbolizing love. Photography can utilize all three types of signs to convey messages and create visual narratives.
- Semiotic Codes: Semiotics recognizes the existence of various codes, which are systems of signs and conventions used to convey meaning within a particular context or culture. In photography, there are several codes at play, including compositional codes (such as the rule of thirds or leading lines), color codes (such as warm colors evoking different emotions than cool colors), and cultural codes (such as specific poses or gestures associated with certain cultural contexts).
- Intertextuality: Semiotics acknowledges that meaning is not solely derived from individual signs but also through their relationships with other signs and cultural references. In photography, intertextuality refers to how images can refer to or evoke other images, art, or cultural symbols, thereby creating new layers of meaning or referencing existing visual and cultural contexts.
- Metonymy
- Analogy
- Displaced
- Condensed
Authors who have written about this
- Roland Barthes – Camera Lucida (1980)
- Victor Burgin -“Thinking Photography” (1982)
- Martha Rosler: essay “In, Around, and Afterthoughts on Documentary Photography” (1981) Essay here https://web.pdx.edu/~vcc/Seminar/Rosler_photo.pdf
What ChatGPT [6/23/23] says about how Gestalt laws apply to photography. [Gestalt is German for unified whole]
Kurt Koffka sums up Gestalt – “The whole is other than the sum of the parts.”
The Gestalt laws, derived from Gestalt psychology, describe principles of perception that help explain how humans organize visual elements into meaningful wholes. These principles can be applied to photography to understand how viewers perceive and interpret images. Here are some key Gestalt laws and their application to photography:
- Law of Figure-Ground: This principle suggests that the mind differentiates objects from their background, separating the main subject (figure) from the surrounding elements (ground). In photography, photographers can utilize this law by creating clear distinctions between the subject and the background, ensuring that the subject stands out and captures the viewer’s attention.
-
if the negative space between E and x becomes the figure – you see the arrow.
-
- Law of Proximity: According to this principle, elements that are close to each other are perceived as belonging together. In photography, arranging subjects or objects close to one another can create a sense of unity or relationship, guiding the viewer’s eye and emphasizing their interconnectedness.
- Law of Similarity: This law states that elements that share similar visual attributes, such as shape, color, or texture, are perceived as related or belonging to the same group. In photography, utilizing similar visual qualities among elements can create a sense of coherence or pattern, allowing viewers to group and interpret the subjects as a unified whole.
- Law of Closure: The principle of closure suggests that the mind tends to complete incomplete or fragmented shapes by mentally filling in missing parts. In photography, composition can be arranged in a way that encourages viewers to mentally complete shapes or forms, creating a sense of satisfaction or intrigue.
- Law of Continuity: This law asserts that the human eye prefers to see continuous and smooth paths or lines rather than abrupt changes or interruptions. In photography, photographers can guide the viewer’s gaze by utilizing leading lines or curves that create a sense of flow and guide the eye through the image.
- Law of Symmetry: The principle of symmetry states that the mind perceives symmetrical or balanced arrangements as more pleasing and harmonious. In photography, symmetry can be employed to create a sense of order and balance, evoking a sense of calmness or aesthetic appeal.
- Law of Common Fate: This law suggests that elements that move together or share a common direction or purpose are perceived as belonging to the same group or having a common fate. It can be used to create visual cohesion and emphasize relationships between subjects or objects. By capturing or depicting elements that are moving in the same direction or engaging in a shared activity, photographers can communicate a sense of unity or purpose within the image. [e.g. flock of birds]
- Parallelism – parallel objects more related than non parallel objects
- Focal points – contrasting elements stand out more than similar ones
- Past experience – influences our perception. e.g. red, amber, green circles makes us think of traffic lights.
- Uniform connectedness – anything ‘joined’ is more of a visual binding than similar objects that are not joined.
- Simplicity – brain breaks down complex object into recognizable components
References: