Reading Assessment 2

1. The authors thesis is that all photos demand interpretation to be fully understood and appreciated. He uses the chapter to explain exactly how and why people interpret images. He also makes it clear that judgement and interpretation are mutually influential on one's thinking about an image.

2. Barrett uses many examples to support this thesis, such as Susan Sontang's interpretation of a photograph recreating a war, or comparing 3 different interpretations of Eleanor by Henry Callahan. In all of his examples, he gives a segment of the critic's interpretation, and then goes into detail analyzing what they said, and explaining why they said it. One example that stood out to me was the picture that was an advertisement for Italian food. I thought it was interesting because I didn't think pictures like that needed to be interpreted, but after reading the interpretation I had a clear image in my mind of what the picture looked like without even seeing it, and I fully understood its purpose. This supports Barrett's claim that all photos demand interpretation.

3. Barrett states that interpreting an image is to make sense of it. An interpretation explains what the picture represents, what it expresses, what its about, or what it is response to. He also states that an interpretation is a retelling of the story in the picture, and should parallel the passion of the photograph.

4. Interpretation is very crucial in criticism of photographs because understandings of photos will forever continue to shift, and our interpretations contribute to that dialogue. Also, since everyone's interpretations can be different, knowing other people's interpretations can help increase your own understanding. Additionally, he states that all artwork deserves a reasonable response.

5. One interpretive perspective that stood out to me was marxist interpretation. This is because I believe that many photos have the ability to say something about society as a whole, and furthermore, the inequality of classes. I think this is because photography captures moments in time throughout history, and knowing the history of a picture can capture the larger essence of shifts in a social context. The critic also pointed out that the public has a hunger for photos of the rich, which I thought was interesting.

6. In the section "right" interpretations, Barrett explains that there aren't necessarily any right or wrong interpretations, since it is up to the viewer. However, can be good vs. weak interpretations. He states that good interpretations are convincing, whereas weak ones are not. He states that if an interpretation is too removed from what is shown, or if any items in the picture are not accounted for, the interpretation is flawed. He explains that the interpretation of a photo should not change it into a completely different work of art, and it should be consistent as well as coherent.

7.  In this section, Barrett explains that the responsibility of interpretation is up to the viewer, not the photographer. Although some artists may have their own interpretation of a photo they took, we should value that interpretation on the same grounds as any other viewer. He also explains that some photographers are unaware of their intents when they take a picture, and they don't necessarily always have an agenda. The critic attempts to describe what the photographer is communicating.

8. One point the author made was that feelings and emotions can be important to interpretation. He explained that the gut feeling you get from looking at a picture can contain important clues about it's subject. When interpreting a picture, you should ask yourself why it makes you feel that way. He also states that your feelings about a picture may change after you have done a critical analysis. Another point he made was that photos can have some personal significance for us, but that shouldn't always be a part of your interpretation. He writes that although personal significance is valuable to each of us, it may be too personal to be valued by others.

9. In conclusion, Barret summarizes the chapter by explaining that there is a whole community of different kinds of interpreters, such as critics, artists, historians, dealers, collectors, and viewers. Every person in this community will have a different perspective when interpreting a photo, and all of these different takes will end up contributing to everyone's understanding of the picture as a whole.

Assignment #3: Depth of Field

Small Aperture SS: 1/60  F8.0  ISO 3200

Wide Aperture SS: 1/125  F3.5  ISO 400

Assignment #2: Shutter Speed

SS: 1/250  ISO: 3200  F4.2  Fast Shutter

SS: 1/50 ISO: 3200  F3.0  Slow Shutter

Reading Assessment 1

1. The author's thesis of this chapter is that there are many different elements to a photograph, and ways to describe them. He demonstrates how to describe what you see, and characterize it. Being able to describe things that aren't so clearly seen in the photo helps someone gain appreciation for the image, as well as better understand its purpose.

2. To support his thesis, he uses specific examples of different critics analyzing photographs, such as Douglas Davis describing Avedon's "In the American West", Arthur Danto describing self-portraits of  Cindy Sherman, and a few others. By analyzing these descriptions, he is able to explain the different elements and characteristics of the photos these critics have chosen to examine. He also highlights their creative use of describing words, which shows the artistic value of examining a picture, and how in-depth you can really go.

3. a. Barrett defines description as a data-gathering process, or a list of facts. To describe a photograph is to answer the questions "What is here?" "What am I looking at?" "What can I say with certainty about this photograph?". A description also includes things such as perspective and subject matter.
    b. Barrett describes subject matter as giving character and meaning to what you can see in the picture. It is important to understand what the focus is, and look beneath the surface. He uses the example of Cindy Sherman's self-portraits, stating that in one way, the subject matter is herself. However, after citing descriptions from other people, he refers to the subject matter as "the cultural construction of femininity".
    c. The form refers to how the subject matter is presented. This includes the position of the camera, scale, arrangement of objects, juxtapositions, and the tone/ mood of the whole picture. All of these aspects come together to create the form of a picture.
    d. The medium is the actual context in which the picture is being viewed, or what an art object is made of. This could include the materials used, size of the film/ print, or the positioning of subjects. The medium can have a great contribution to the impact and purpose of the photograph.
    e. Style refers to how the medium is used, and how the picture is formally arranged. Barrett states that style indicates resemblance among diverse art objects from an artist, time period, or geographic location and is recognized by a specific handling of subject matter and other elements.

4. a. Comparing and contrasting is describing what the picture has in common with other works, as well as how it stands out, or differs from the rest. Someone could compare and contrast a picture with others taken by the same artist, or with other photographers. By comparing and contrasting a picture with others, it puts it in a much different perspective than just looking at it alone.
    b. Internal information is what can clearly be seen within a photograph, but many critics use external sources to better understand it. External sources can include research on the artist, knowledge on photograph history, and the context in which it was made. Knowledge of a photographer's life can illuminate a photograph.

5. a. Descriptions contain facts, while evaluation explains what these facts could represent, and can include its relevancy within the picture. Evaluating helps to explain the meaning behind what you are describing.
    b. Interpretation is adding your own personal judgement or understanding behind the elements you are describing. When interpreting, it is important to limit what can be said to what is relevant to providing an understanding and appreciation of the picture. Blending description and interpretation is how to artistically critique and analyze a photo.

6. In conclusion, this chapter includes many points about how to talk or write about a picture. Two other points the author made are that reading someone else's evaluation can help form your own opinion based on agreement or disagreement, and that describing words can have both positive and negative connotations. From this reading, I learned the relevancy of knowing a photographer's life/ background, which I previously thought was unimportant. Now I can see that it can add somewhat of a story to the picture. Another thing I learned was that medium can greatly affect a photo. I never realized that the context in which you are viewing it can change your interpretation. The authors conclusion is that relevancy is a determining factor in describing photographs. There is so much that can be said about a picture, but the only things that are important are the ones that create a thoughtful understanding. My reaction to this reading is that I will now be able to look at photographs in a much more in-depth and informative way than I previously have. This will help me gain a greater appreciation for photography, as well as advance my skills when taking my own pictures.

Assignment #1: Bracketing and Inspiration Images

SS: 1/30  ISO: 3200  F8.0  meter +1

 BRACKETING

SS: 1/100  ISO: 3200  F5.3  meter at 0

SS: 1/200  ISO: 3200  F3.0  meter -1

 

















Bracketing is taking multiple photos set at different exposures. It is usually done with three photos: one with the meter towards 0, one towards +, and one towards -. Elements to change the exposure include the use of shutter speed, ISO, and aperture. By changing these aspects, you can control the amount of light going into your camera, as well as the speed in which the light is entering your camera.

INSPIRATION IMAGES 

The first image I chose was this picture of somebody holding a hedgehog in a mug. It caught my eye because I like images that are simple, and have one focus without much else going on. I also like bold colors without a lot of shadows or depth. I like how the cup matches the background because it really makes the hedgehog the main focus of the photo. By putting him in the cup, the photographer perfectly captured how tiny they really are, in a cute and creative way. 

The second image I chose was this picture taken of two fake tiny people in hazmat suits investigating a large puddle of a strange substance. I like this picture because it is very creative and something people wouldn't normally think of photographing. I prefer up close images of very tiny things rather than large landscape photos because it puts the world in a different perspective. I also like the way the color of their suits stand out from everything else. 

Lastly, I enjoyed this picture because I really like the artistic choice of color blocking, which is also something I really enjoy in fashion. The colors really pop against one another which makes it a very eye catching picture. It is very simple yet makes a bold statement.