How do we read a photograph?
photographs, like many forms of art, are usually always created with a meaning. A popular phrase is that 'a picture is worth a thousand words' and, saying this, the meaning is lost if you can't read what the image is saying. And so, the way to read a photograph is to use denotation and connotation.
Denotation and connotation may sound similar, but they have completely different meanings:
- Denotation is what something means literally. So, in the case of a photo, what is literally in the image.
- Connotation is what something can symbolise, what the meaning of something is. So, for a photo of a black cat, the connotation could be about bad luck, as black cats are associated with bad luck.
Arbus has many images which seem normal at first glance, however have a deeper meaning when studied.
Denotation and connotation may sound similar, but they have completely different meanings:
- Denotation is what something means literally. So, in the case of a photo, what is literally in the image.
- Connotation is what something can symbolise, what the meaning of something is. So, for a photo of a black cat, the connotation could be about bad luck, as black cats are associated with bad luck.
Arbus has many images which seem normal at first glance, however have a deeper meaning when studied.
The photograph "Identical Twins", taken in 1967, is a picture taken of two girls next to each other, presumably being identical twins. At face value, that's what they seem to be, however studying the image more, you find that there are quite a few differences.
The girl on the left of the image seems to be upset, however the girl on the right seems happy, the complete opposite of being sad. As well as that, the wall in behind the girls seems to be tilted, giving the effect that something is wrong, or "off" about the image. Adding to that, the girls' hair, while similar in length and style, differs in neatness, with the girl on the left having messier hair than the one on the right.
Although these differences are easily noticed, the girls are dressed identically, with the exact same clothing and hairband. They are also standing in the exact same position, adding to the illusion that they are identical.
As well as that, the background is almost completely plain, with only a white wall and brick floor. This takes away a sense of place and location, being unable to tell where the girls are and making the viewer focus on them more. However, the wall and path behind the girls is tilted, giving the effect that something is wrong, or "off", about the image. And, although taking away the sense of location, the image reinforces the fact that the girls are real people, and not just a portrait or character, by adding the familiar image of brick and chipped paint on the ground.
Incomplete. What about the other image?
The girl on the left of the image seems to be upset, however the girl on the right seems happy, the complete opposite of being sad. As well as that, the wall in behind the girls seems to be tilted, giving the effect that something is wrong, or "off" about the image. Adding to that, the girls' hair, while similar in length and style, differs in neatness, with the girl on the left having messier hair than the one on the right.
Although these differences are easily noticed, the girls are dressed identically, with the exact same clothing and hairband. They are also standing in the exact same position, adding to the illusion that they are identical.
As well as that, the background is almost completely plain, with only a white wall and brick floor. This takes away a sense of place and location, being unable to tell where the girls are and making the viewer focus on them more. However, the wall and path behind the girls is tilted, giving the effect that something is wrong, or "off", about the image. And, although taking away the sense of location, the image reinforces the fact that the girls are real people, and not just a portrait or character, by adding the familiar image of brick and chipped paint on the ground.
Incomplete. What about the other image?
Another example is "A family on their lawn one Sunday in Westchester". This image is seemingly normal at first glance, but studying the image closer you start to see the hidden meaning.
The background consists of trees, seemingly surrounding the family and giving a feeling of isolation. A swing set and bench get cut off by the edge of the photo, being metaphorically broken in half. A picnic bench is one of the few things that is fully visible, but is quite far away from the family, and barely visible due to the angle.
In the midground, a boy (most likely the son of the two adults) is looking over a paddling pool, facing away from the camera and parents, ignoring them. This can be seen as the ignorance that children have, too focused on what they find fun to see the darkness in the world around them. The pool is also circular, which could represent the family circle that he has, and how shallow the relationship between him and his family are.
The foreground has two people, a man and a woman, sitting on lawn chairs with a table between them. On the right, a man is covering his face, as if embarrassed by what is happening around him, or possibly representing his constant absence from the family and how little they see him due to work. On the table, there is food and drinks, all of which are closer to the man than the woman, which could symbolise the control the man could have. As well as this, the boy by the pool is positioned closer to the woman, perhaps showing that the relationship between him and his mother is stronger than the one with his father, reinforcing the point of the father not being around as much.
The background consists of trees, seemingly surrounding the family and giving a feeling of isolation. A swing set and bench get cut off by the edge of the photo, being metaphorically broken in half. A picnic bench is one of the few things that is fully visible, but is quite far away from the family, and barely visible due to the angle.
In the midground, a boy (most likely the son of the two adults) is looking over a paddling pool, facing away from the camera and parents, ignoring them. This can be seen as the ignorance that children have, too focused on what they find fun to see the darkness in the world around them. The pool is also circular, which could represent the family circle that he has, and how shallow the relationship between him and his family are.
The foreground has two people, a man and a woman, sitting on lawn chairs with a table between them. On the right, a man is covering his face, as if embarrassed by what is happening around him, or possibly representing his constant absence from the family and how little they see him due to work. On the table, there is food and drinks, all of which are closer to the man than the woman, which could symbolise the control the man could have. As well as this, the boy by the pool is positioned closer to the woman, perhaps showing that the relationship between him and his mother is stronger than the one with his father, reinforcing the point of the father not being around as much.
The Early Years
Before 1826, paintings were used to capture the world around us. While it was usually accurate, we can't be sure because of artistic liberty and things the artists may have added into or taken away from the picture. While realism was very popular, it was very difficult to draw, with the almost infinite detail making it almost impossible. However, with the use of light, patience, and a dark room, artists found a way to make extremely realistic recreations of the world around them. By using a camera obscura.
Jen, don't feel you have to go into so much detail. Bullet point the key moments.
Jen, don't feel you have to go into so much detail. Bullet point the key moments.
Photography and Modernism
Modernism started around the 1880s and lasted until the 1970s. Modernism included:
Herbert BAyer
Early Life:
Herbert Beyer is an Austrian, American man with a range of jobs: Photographer, painter, graphic designer, sculptor, environmental and interior designer, art director, and architect. He was born on April 5th 1900 in Haag, Austria, and lived most of his early life in Germany, becoming a student at Bauhaus from 1921 - 1923 and was most recognised for his experiments in Typography. From 1925 - 1928, he taught typography, advertising, and layout at Bauhaus until moving to Berlin, where he lived and worked as the manager of Vogue until 1938. He also worked as the advertising agency director for Dorland. The repression of the Third Reich and the use of his work in Nazi propaganda exhibition "Degenerate Art" caused him to emigrate to Aspen, Colorado.
Lonely Metropolitan:
Along with his other works, a photograph by him called "Lonely Metropolitan" was one of the most popular. Beyer intended to show the effects moving to the city can have on mental health and feelings. He did this by using an image of a building in the background, taken from a high vantage point and with very close windows which give the feelings of claustrophobia due to the cramped living conditions. He wanted us to think about how close together people live in cities ad apartments. He also presents feelings of detachment, shown by the detached, bodiless hands. The eyes on the hands are also from different people, giving a sense of a collective. He wanted us to think that the detached feeling the city gives is a collective experience for everyone. The contrast between the claustrophobia and detachment also help show how it is a confusing experience, giving mixed and conflicting emotions that further help us understand the feeling that moving to a city can give and the effects it can have on metal health.
Herbert Beyer is an Austrian, American man with a range of jobs: Photographer, painter, graphic designer, sculptor, environmental and interior designer, art director, and architect. He was born on April 5th 1900 in Haag, Austria, and lived most of his early life in Germany, becoming a student at Bauhaus from 1921 - 1923 and was most recognised for his experiments in Typography. From 1925 - 1928, he taught typography, advertising, and layout at Bauhaus until moving to Berlin, where he lived and worked as the manager of Vogue until 1938. He also worked as the advertising agency director for Dorland. The repression of the Third Reich and the use of his work in Nazi propaganda exhibition "Degenerate Art" caused him to emigrate to Aspen, Colorado.
Lonely Metropolitan:
Along with his other works, a photograph by him called "Lonely Metropolitan" was one of the most popular. Beyer intended to show the effects moving to the city can have on mental health and feelings. He did this by using an image of a building in the background, taken from a high vantage point and with very close windows which give the feelings of claustrophobia due to the cramped living conditions. He wanted us to think about how close together people live in cities ad apartments. He also presents feelings of detachment, shown by the detached, bodiless hands. The eyes on the hands are also from different people, giving a sense of a collective. He wanted us to think that the detached feeling the city gives is a collective experience for everyone. The contrast between the claustrophobia and detachment also help show how it is a confusing experience, giving mixed and conflicting emotions that further help us understand the feeling that moving to a city can give and the effects it can have on metal health.
Documentary 1: An American Story
My Documentary Photography Hero -
Lewis Hine
I picked Lewis Hine as my photography hero because not only did he work to expose the terrible slum environments that immigrants were living in, he also looked to expose the horrors of child labour. Hine's photos contributed to fuelling how the public felt about the situation and are what inspired Congress to enact a national child labour legislation.
Hine photographed a
Hine photographed a