Visual Elements & Vocabulary

Monday, 19th October 2009

Did you enjoy the slideshow I put together for today's class? :) If you missed it, we went through general visual literacy vocabulary (on this blog) with pictures to illustrate. Although we went through quite a lot of 'visual' vocabulary, I'd like to mention some specifically relative to photograhy. These terms were on the second handout but we didnt spend as much time discussing them as I would've liked.

Composition- the arrangement of the visual elements within an image. Composition is important and utilises a variety of visual elements to create interesting photography.

Angle- usually high, low or horizontals. We already discussed how angles affect the power dynamic in images.

Foreground- the part of an image that appears to be towards the front.

Background- the part of an image that appears to be towards the back.

Setting- the scenery or physical environment within the image.

Content- the topic or information captured in an image.

Subject- the main person or object in a photo.

Theme- the central idea of the image. May unify elements within one picture or a series of pictures.

Focal point/central focus- the part of the picture which is the most clearly in focus.

Visual Elements

Light/Dark- the areas in the image which are highlighted or in shadow. May refer to natural light (sunlight or window light) or artificial light (indoor lights or flash). May be directly pointed at the subject or may be reflected.

Contrast- differences between: light & dark; texture; size; saturation etc.

Balance- Symmetrical (where elements are equally distributed in an image) or Asymmetrical (where elements are unequally distributed but may still result in a balanced image).

Framing- everything that is contained within the boundary of the photo.

Line- objects or elements in the picture that act like lines in a photograph. They may be horizontal, vertical, diagnoal, straight, wavy, thick or thin etc. Do they outline a central feature? Do they create direction or point towards the subject?

Shape- Geometric (simple shapes found in geometry eg triangle, circle, square etc) or Organic (shapes found in nature eg trees, stones, mountains etc).

Repetition- Any objects or visual elements that are repeated to create a pattern.

Texture- The 'feel' of the objects in a picture and whether they look like they would feel. For example, an old wooden fence or a crumbling brick wall.

Next up, we'll be looking at how to use all these elements in order to compose a photo, and how to use these elements to create meaning within pictures.

-I'd like you to head over to a group pool I set up over at flickr (http://www.flickr.com/groups/readingpics/).

-You can click on 'add note' and tag specific areas of the photo with notes.

For example...

-I would like you to try and identify at least 3 of the terms in this post (they dont have to be all on one photo).

Have fun!

Introduction to Photography

Friday, 16th October 2009

Today we went to the library and looked at some photography basics. We worked in pairs to research some famous photographers and examples of their work and then briefly presented them to the rest of the class and explained what we liked/disliked and why we thought the photo was taken.

We also worked out that most people in the class have access to a digital camera (or at least a film camera and scanner). Our school also has several digital cameras you can borrow- please contact me regarding this if necessary. Many people had several 'digital cameras' if we count the cameras on their mobile phones and webcams. Because of the availability of digital cameras and the internet, sharing photos is also easier than ever before. Email attachments are becoming 'old hat' as more people upload to photosharing sites such as Flickr or Photobucket or simply post them on social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace. We are going to be looking at photos in flickr (we might even make a class pool) and also be posting photos on our blogs.

Here in NSW, students at Stage 5 level (you guys!) are fortunate enough to be given laptops, complete with webcams, graphics software such as Adobe Photoshop CS4 and web design software such as Fireworks, Illustrator & Bridge . This unit wont give you an in-depth look at these programs, but hopefully encourage you to familiarise yourself with them at home. Many of you mentioned you had some previous experience with these programs from computing lessons; there are also some fantastic tutorials on the web.

I briefly want to mention some of the main types of photography...

- Nature

This may include wildlife or landscape shots.

- People/portrait

Anyone, anywhere. Usually a head-shot or mid-shot but occasionally a long-shot.

- Fashion & Glamour

Fashion focusing on the clothes (or items being modelled); Glamour focusing on the model.

- Destination Specific

Usually particular places of interest. This also blends with 'travel photography' which may seek to capture not only places but people, cultures, traditions etc.

- Macro

Usually for fine detail in smaller subjects eg flowers, insects etc. Sometimes used for medical purposes.

There are many other kinds of photography. We may also see celebrity, sports, underwater, still life, war, forensic and aerial photography, just to name a few.

You may have noticed several 'settings' available on your digital camera that make it more convenient to take a photo in one of these genres. For example...

Check out my creations & reflections blog for some examples of photos I've taken that might fall into these categories. Post one of your own pictures on your blog and identify which category you think it belongs in. It might be of you or your friends playing sport...might be of a flower, an ipod, a car, a friend, the beach- they all fall into one of the main photographic categories. Make sure to take a look around our class blogs and see (and comment on) what your peers are producing :)

How reliable?

Thursday, 15th October 2009

If you missed today's class we watched a DVD documentary called 'Ethics in the Age of Digital Photography'. If you want to see a brief excerpt, you can catch one here.

Basically, we discussed how reliable images are in the media these days. With the use of computer technology and graphics software, images can be easily distorted. Is that a problem? Or is it only a problem when it's presented as the truth? For example, in 100 years from now people may look back on TIME Magazine as a primary document which evidences the reality of our lives today. If the covers and pictures within TIME Magazine are altered- are they giving an accurate representation? Does this matter?

This short clip shows how photo manipulation has been going on for many years....



This is just one example to show how images in the media are manipulated. (But be wary- its still an advertisement!)



As far as physically detecting whether an image is 'real' or 'fake' there are now experts who do this for a living. For the general public we can look for things such as differences in lighting, repeating patterns, changing date/time markers etc. But ultimately we should remind ourselves of these things:

- Texts (written or visual) may be based on fact or on fiction.
- They are created with specific audiences in mind, and attempt to convey a particular message.
- They often reflect culture-specific associations and frequently use stereotyping.
- The meaning that is conveyed is shaped by its context (where it is read, where it is viewed, what medium it is produced on etc)
- Our culture, environment, education and experiences shape the way we make meaning from these texts.
- The producer's culture, environment, education and experiences shape the way they attempt to create meaning in these texts.

General questions we should always ask are...
- When was the picture taken?
- Where was it taken?
- What format is it presented in? (eg a gossip magazine, a published book, a media display etc)
- What are the objects or subjects in the picture about?
- Who took the photograph?
- Why did they take it?

On your blog, write your reaction to the YouTube clips I posted & link back to me (about 200 words or so). Did they surprise you? Engage you? Was it expected? Did you know image manipulation had been around so long? Are you familiar with the idea that most media images are manipulated with 'Dr.Photoshop'? Does it matter to you whether an image is real or not? As you watch television commercials or read magazines do you keep these ideas in mind?

Since when?

Wednesday, 14th October 2009

After our discussion in class today, it is pretty clear that visual images surround us (or even bombard us) on a daily basis. But does their message always get through? Sometimes we consciously evaluate their message but sometimes we dont. As one example in class showed, sometimes we have a strong idea or preference for something based not on experience or fact or even personal favour...just based on the way that it is presented to us. It is important that we learn to realise HOW and WHY images are trying to shape meaning in us.

There are a lot of people who talk about 'visual literacy' as something only applicable to the technology age. While I agree that now, more than ever before, we have access to a wealth of visual texts...and are still learning how to negotiate them...I just thought I would take a minute to point out that visual meaning-making skills have been required for centuries.

Take for example, the system of Egyptian Hieroglyphs...or even the signs and symbols that went into forming our own alphabet.


In medieval times, many people (and almost all peasants) couldnt read. Examples of texts from this time show just how much artistry and images went onto the page.





(Here's an example from the Luttrell Psalter)


Under medieval 'feudal systems' (which you have probably studied in history) it was the peasants job to do all the work around a manor. Whether it was planting, harvesting, grinding, ploughing, collecting firewood or slaughtering animals....each month had particular jobs for peasants to complete. But how could they keep track of each job and each month? Calendars depicting the various labours were created out of stained glass and placed within churches. They were dependant on these images from season to season.

Here's another example. Have you ever been to an old cemetary? One where there are elaborate grave markers with big, ornate statues and signs and symbols. Most people today have no clue about these grave markers. We might think they are 'beautiful' (or creepy) but rarely think about what each symbol meant. Back in the 1800's, most people would have been able to interpret every marking on a tombstone. They understood that roses might have been symbolic of Christ or purity; that doves were symbolic of peace; that 'books' were symbolic of the Bible or the 'book of life' (described in the Bible). That even the very stones whether black and white marble, or golden sandstone, was intended to convey a particular message.


All this to say, that the idea of 'reading pictures' is not new. In many areas of life, it is a lost skill. In other areas of life, we are seeing demands for new skills never seen before.

HW- What are some examples of visual texts that surround you most in life? Do you enjoy online gaming? Are you a photography enthusiast? Television addict? Artist?
Do you seek them out, or do they seek you? Briefly describe.

Do we need to learn to "read" pictures?

Tuesday, 13th October 2009

There is a widespread assumption that pictures communicate automatically- that is, that readers do not need any literacy skills in order to read pictures.






















(Jastrow, J. "The Mind's Eye." Popular Sci. Monthly 54, 299-312, 1899).

Is this a RABBIT or a DUCK?

You cant see both shapes or interpretations at once.....

























(Hill, W. E. "My Wife and My Mother-in-Law." Puck 16, 11, Nov. 1915).
Is this a YOUNG LADY or an OLD WOMAN?

What we "really see" is dependent on what we have learned to recognize. This learning is influenced by our education, our cultural background, our environmental factors, the context of the image and our prior experiences when encountering similar images. For example, if I lived in the city and had never seen rabbits (aside from at the zoo etc) yet stopped by the park to feed the ducks every day...I might be more inclined to immediately interpret the first picture as a duck. If however, the image was on the front cover of "Farmer's Weekly" and a picture of a farmer holding a shot gun and 3 rabbits was close by, I might be more inclined to interpret it as a rabbit.

Likewise can the 'impact' of images (the effects they have on us) be altered depending on their environment. If I came across the a picture in a gossip magazine I might casually flick past it and have only a momentary reaction. If I came across the same picture in an art museum, I would be tempted to give it more consideration, in essence- its impact would carry more weight. The environment of any visual text will affect our "reading" of it- altering the way we interpret or make meaning from it.

In order to improve our competency when extracting meaning from pictures, we need to develop visual literacy skills. These kinds of skills include an awareness of the techniques and structures used in visual texts in order to interpret and create meaning.

What do you guys think? Do you think its important to be 'visually literate'?