Visual literacy

[sean_mcr]

A couple of weeks ago i shown a work colleague this shot
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/68357749

They could not understand it, did not get what i was trying to say. It's fair to say that they're not well versed in photography .

Most people look at photographs but they don't see what's in them. They also don't spend enough time actually viewing a photograph. Italian Detectives in training are shown paintings from the renaissance. The reason being that like a crime scene those paintings can give up secrets if you know how to see, how to read the scene before you. Photography like painting is a visual language and it's important that we learn how to read and express it


I hope this Article will be of use

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/speaking.shtml


Keep shooting

Sean

[storystone]

I looked at the image, and, for context, the gallery it's in. I, too, must be visuallly challenged, because I didn't get any deep or hidden message or story. Visual language is not precise—there are no dictionaries as there are for verbal language. So each member of the audience creates their own understanding of the message, depending on their life experiences. Would you be willing to telll us in words what you intended this image to say/show, and the visual clues that convey this message? Maybe we could learn from that. Thanks!

[jypsee]

and having some background or training is useful; but being articulate is more than saying "stuff" about a photo and that's why "literacy" in reading a photo (or any other form of creative expression) is so important. It's not what you, the creator/maker, intended to say or express but what the "reader" sees or interprets and can then "say" about the work that makes the visual "literate." The photographer and the reader don't have to be in synch for the work to have meaning.

The photo you put up looks like a movie still to my VERY well trained eye. The big red lightbulb is the anchor point for my "read" of your photo.

[sean_mcr]

I looked at the image, and, for context, the gallery it's in. I, too, must be visuallly challenged, because I didn't get any deep or hidden message or story. Visual language is not precise—there are no dictionaries as there are for verbal language. So each member of the audience creates their own understanding of the message, depending on their life experiences. Would you be willing to telll us in words what you intended this image to say/show, and the visual clues that convey this message? Maybe we could learn from that. Thanks!

Poems are formed by words yet some people are unable to understand them even with a dictionary to hand and of course we can take away many different things from them. But it's only by reading more, be it music, literature, paintings or photography that we can improve our understanding of the language

What i take from my photo. Look at the light, it's a dark brooding light. Film Noir type of light, look at the expressions on the face of the males. They are not discussing they're next holiday, the intensity of the faces suggest a serious matter being discussed. The bag on the table, what's in it. The Hunters signs in the background, are they being paid to look for someone?. The photo does have a conspiratorial feel to to as Niall pointed out


It's in the right gallery"life stories" It's called Hell hath no fury. It's clear to see it's not joey and chandler in a coffee house.

One of the most important photography books ever written is this one.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... inephot-20

It's just come back in to print and i urge you to buy it before it's too late

Take care, keep shooting


Sean

[sean_mcr]

and having some background or training is useful; but being articulate is more than saying "stuff" about a photo and that's why "literacy" in reading a photo (or any other form of creative expression) is so important. It's not what you, the creator/maker, intended to say or express but what the "reader" sees or interprets and can then "say" about the work that makes the visual "literate." The photographer and the reader don't have to be in synch for the work to have meaning.

The photo you put up looks like a movie still to my VERY well trained eye. The big red lightbulb is the anchor point for my "read" of your photo.

You've pretty much hit the nail on the head Jypsee. A photograph, a song or a book & film. can make a connection with a person, it can be very personal to that person. But if you don't understand that there is a message in there (which only you may get). You're going to struggle

There's a famous mistake the BBC made. It was with Lou Reids 'Perfect day'. It was used in a video to promote an annual charity telethon. The video contained many celebs singing different parts for the song. The last person in the song was Lou Reid. He simply put his fingers to his lips and hushed

Why did he do that? He did that because the BBC do not realise that the song was about a day high on heroin. They had some cheesy celebs singing about a day high and they did not realise.

Some exec in a office will have said. Hey that perfect day would be a nice tune for the charity bash. They heard the song but they did not listen


Keep shooting


Sean

[benjikan]

A couple of weeks ago i shown a work colleague this shot
http://www.pbase.com/sean_mcr/image/68357749

They could not understand it, did not get what i was trying to say. It's fair to say that they're not well versed in photography .

Most people look at photographs but they don't see what's in them. They also don't spend enough time actually viewing a photograph. Italian Detectives in training are shown paintings from the renaissance. The reason being that like a crime scene those paintings can give up secrets if you know how to see, how to read the scene before you. Photography like painting is a visual language and it's important that we learn how to read and express it


I hope this Article will be of use

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/speaking.shtml


Keep shooting

Sean

Sean;

Your image is very intimate and compelling. The "Yin-Yang" juxtaposition of the light-dark and the subjects beneath give a sense of perfect balance. Unified Contrast.

Felicitations..

Ben