- John Szarkowski - The Thing Itself, The Detail, Time, The Frame, The Vantage Point
- Structuralism - Sign Semiotics / Signification - Structure and Language (Denotation and Connotation)
Szarkowski's theory comes from the idea that, different from paintings that are made, photographs are taken. This then raised the question of how photographs are 'taken' to produce a meaningful image.
The Thing Itself - This is the object in front of the camera, the thing the photographer has to recognise in order to capture a permanent image of it. The image of the object will be more remembered than the object itself. As William M. Ivins, Jr said "at any given moment the accepted report of an event is of greater importance than the event, for what we think about and act upon is the symbolic report and not the concrete event itself". (Wells. L, The Photography Reader, London, Routledge, 2003, page 99/100)
The Detail - It is hard for photographs to tell stories, so they are often used as symbols. By isolating a particular part of 'reality', a photograph is a part representing a whole.
Time - "Photograph was made there but it is here now, subject was there but is here now" Roland Barthes.
Photographs allow us to see subjects that we wouldn't normally be able to see, and subjects in the past. They describe the period of time in which they were made, including exposures of different duration.
The Frame - It is not just the inside of the frame that we need to consider when generating a meaning of an image. We often need knowledge of outside the frame to entirely know what is going on in the photograph. Photographers can now choose and eliminate what the viewer sees in order to obtain different interpretations.
The Vantage Point - The position of the camera is a useful technique as it postitions the viewer. Images from angles such as bird's eye view, worm's eye view etc can effectively manipulate the meaning of them.
(Wells. L, The Photograhy Reader, London, Routledge, 2003)
Structuralism - Sign Semiotics / Signification
Sign - 'A gesture expressing a meaning; a signal; a mark with a meaning; a symbol...' (Chambers Dictionary page 1422)
Semiotics - 'the study of signs, signalss, and symbols, esp. in language and communication' (Chambers Dictionary page 1391)
Photographs contain various signs that we learn to decode, generating interpretations based on our own experiences.
Roland Barthes then created the denotation and connotation process:
- Denotatrion - The first level of signification. It is the visual images that describe what is there.
- Connotation - The second level of signification. It is the meanings/feelings that are recollected by the signs. They are based on personal experiences and are often subjective.
- Content Signs - The objects seen in the image
- Position Signs - The position of the camera
- Treatment Signs - Black and white/colour, lighting
My Response to the Lecture - Semiotic Analysis
Diane Arbus – A family on their lawn one Sunday in Winchester, N.Y., 1968
Denotation
Content Signs: White mother, father and child. Mother and father are in the foreground while the child is in the background playing on his own. A large garden with child’s toys.
Position Signs: Camera is above the family, making the viewer look down at them. The view of the large open space can make the viewer envious of the family.
Treatment Signs: Black and white. Lighting from the front illuminates the parents, making them more noticeable than the child.
Connotations
Meanings generated: The image is a representation of a typical family at the time, showing how there can be an emotional distance between parents and children. It shows how a family can be spending time together but not engaging with each other. The large garden suggests that the family are wealthy and have the time to sunbathe.
