Week 7 Flashcards
Images
Reading Images
There is a suggestive influence associated with photography that speaks always to the human condition. They persuade us in ways both obvious and not so obvious. They rely heavily on the rhetorical appeals of logos, pathos and ethos. Photographs not only capture reality, but are symbolic and/or reflective of humanity and the world. They can reflect the beauty and goodness of the world, but also its downfall and tragedy; they reflect both joy and sorrow, they suggest our progress and our utter failure. But they always make us think. And there is great power within that. Photography is considered one of the greatest instruments for change, and can complement our pursuit of humanities exploration… to question, challenge, qualify, wonder, make meaning. English is all about exploring humanity — exploring ourselves. And there is no better way to do that sometimes than through the power of an image.
Type of Photograph
is the image a Documentary photo (representing a moment in time of real/ live event), or Conceptual (illustrating or symbolizing an idea/theme, intended to tell a story), or a Special Effects photo (a collage, for example) for a specific purpose.
What is the Subject/Subject Matter?
[Note: this Comp. feature is primarily used for “description,” but you can address subject matter details within other compositional features.] What is the photograph of? What do you see? Look to all images/elements (big and small) of what the photo captures/ what’s included. It all has a relationship and purpose (both intended and unintended) and with meaning in some capacity. Look to any Instructor context provided.
Context
*IMPT: While a photo can be assessed separately from any context (without the benefit of “explanation”), for the purpose of these notes and our mini-unit, some context can be helpful in providing more meaning and understanding. Any information provided is
mainly to give basic “details” or “facts” in question, ie, title, photographer, event, etc).
*Further note: context sometimes does influence how you see and form an understanding of the image. But there are also images that do not need any context to understand its impact, meaning, message—they speak clearly on their own (for example, the “Segregated Water Fountain” or the “Sudan Famine” photo.)
Focal Point(s)
Where does your eye get immediately drawn? Is there a clear focal point at all? Are there several? Remember that a focal point does not have to be in the centre of the image. And sometimes more than one focal point could be argued. More importantly though, to what effect is the focal point influential?
Distance from Subject: Is Image Close up? Long shot? Medium range?
Close-ups: increase intensity of image and suggest importance of subject (“Afghan Girl” is a close up).
Medium range: expresses neutrality – sometimes irony can be found in this (see the “Sudan Famine” and “Segregated Water Fountain” images… are these “neutral” images… I think not.)
Long shots: blend into background, forming either a less significant focus/suggestion, or capturing an importance as a whole (in its entirety).
Camera Angle: Is camera angle in front or behind subject? Above or level? Head-on?
Low angle: emphasizes the superiority of the subject (subject is enlarged and looming)
High angle: reduces size, minimizing the subject (to what effect?… less importance)
Level: equality suggested– sometimes there is irony in this (ie. See the “Sudan Famine” and “Segregated Water Fountain” images).
“View” of images
Front view: emphasizes the subject being photographed
Rear view: emphasizes the scene or setting (which itself can be the subject…)
*For example with “View”: The “Olympic Athlete” photo can be argued as either a front view or a rear view shot, depending on how you see it (or choose to interpret it)
Manipulation and/or Compositional Effects
If not a documentary photo: how has the photograph been manipulated or “staged” to appear a certain way? (For what greater purpose?). Is the entire image clear and realistic? Any portion deliberately blurred (this can also occur in documentary images during development, the photographer choosing to focus in on one composition). Is the image a compilation/ collage/ composite of a number of images?
Colour in Image
Is the photograph in black and white, or colour? Is this a conscious choice? Or is the “black and white” image simply reflective of the time/period. Sometimes “black and white” photography is more effective and therefore deliberately applied (particularly in documentary photographs), because it avoids the “distraction” of bright or “pretty” colours when attempting to highlight a serious issue or message. Black and white usage can therefore speak solely on the image being offered, especially when that image is particularly disturbing, tragic, or grave. BUT: if shot and published in colour, note the colours and if whether they can enrich your interpretation (“coincidentally,” so to speak). Note the brightness or muted portions and where your eye goes, and what that is. IMPORTANT: While colour interpretation in images is not the same as seen in “literary traditions,” we can
sometimes speak to symbolic messages that colour implies in photographs:
(sometimes ironic).
remember, these colours are “traditional interpretations as seen in literatures,” but we
can apply to image as well for the purpose of argumentation/critique
Reds: death, intensity, seriousness, desire, love. Red can sometimes be symbolic of life as well.
Pink: hope, innocence, happiness, joy, childhood
Shades of Orange and Yellow: “rot and disease,” also futility, sadness/sorrow, and ageing
Green: naivete, but also rebirth/life. renewal, as well as hope
Blues: stagnancy, coldness, ignorance, gloom, mystery, but also “strength and resilience”
Greys: neutrality, also illness, disease, destructive, hopelessness. But also opportunity/potential.
Purples: warmth, wellness, health, security
Browns: humanity, earth, nature, but also desolation/waste
Whites: innocence, loss, longing/sorrow, as well as peace, and hope.
Use of text 2 kinds
- is the image accompanied by any text, such as a “Title,” a “Label,” or a “Caption.”
- Text within the Image
- Is the image accompanied by any text, such as a “Title,” a “Label,” or a “Caption.”
Labels are defining only, providing a “factual” note (“President Bush delivering speech at
Mt. Rushmore”—that’s a label). But titles and captions can be “suggestive” (can engender bias, as well as influence how we read or interpret the image with acuity).
Titles: Created (describes). They are critical/creative/subjective. Will appear at the top of photo (by either a publisher, or titled by the photographer). What has the photo been called? (if any title). And to what effect does it have? Is it merely “factual”/ Or does it add another “layer” to the image. Does it make one “think” or simply “remind”.
Labels: Defines. No bias. Purely objective/factual (placed by a publisher). Will appear underneath/below photo. Labels are meant to simply tell viewer what they are seeing, without commentary. (ie. “Person walking” or “Boy flying a kite” or “President delivering speech”)
Captions: Critiques or Comments. Can be biased/ subjective/ critical (placed by publisher). Will also appear underneath/below photo. Sometimes controversial/biased, but they can inform. Provides context but can also provide much more. It allows for a critical presentation of image and can influence interpretation, providing fodder for further argument/critical discussion. Read carefully what any caption (if present) is saying or suggesting… (for example, the “Sudan Famine” photo has a “caption” underneath…).
- Text within the image
Note any use of text (words!) the image is capturing and if relevant (on a building, a sign, on clothing, etc, etc.). It is something you think the photographer intended to highlight? Or just part of the image as a collective that allows for enriched/ supportive analysis. In other words, does it have significant meaning based on the image?
Usually, text within the image has a purpose, no matter small or insignificant it might first appear… (For example: In the “Olympic Athlete” image… the person in upper left-hand corner is wearing a T-shirt that reads “USA is swimming.” You won’t be able to see it (barely), but it’s important to note because the 1984 LA Olympics was a boycotted Olympics; an intent to embarrass America for a disastrous and dismal Olympics, which ultimately backfired and is to this very day considered one of the most successful and significant Olympics ever. So in this context, the text on the T-shirts has more meaning… as in, “America is doing just fine”/ or “swimmingly” as it’s commonly said. (The athlete happened to be a swimmer also…)
