ANALYZING PHOTOGRAPHY
Name:
Date:
Description
The first step in visual analysis is description. Descriptions should remain objective, discussing what can be seen without drawing conclusions. For instance, when looking at Lincoln on Battlefield of Antietam, it would be appropriate to say, "The tall man in the middle is wearing a somber black suit," but inappropriate to say "the tall man in the middle is dressed as if going to a funeral." This sort of subjective comment should be reserved for the "reflection" section. A description can begin anywhere, but generally it is easiest to begin by discussing the subject matter. For example, a description of this photo might begin with the basic statement: "In this black and white image, three men stand in front of a tent." Once you have stated the subject matter, simply elaborate on what you can see: the man in the middle is the tallest, and is posed with his hands down at his sides, wearing a formal black suit with a bowtie and a tall stovepipe hat. The man to the left is wearing a worn dark suit and a bowler hat. The man to the right is dressed in a military uniform with bright buttons and epaulets. The tent is pitched on a grassy clearing with trees in the background. And so on.
Subject:
What is the subject of this photograph? Is it a person, place, event, object or idea?
Was the subject posed, arranged, of caught unawares for the camera?
Does the subject symbolize something more than itself?
Frame:
How is the subject framed? How is the subject isolated from his/her/its surroundings?
What camera angle and shot distance are used? What does the framing suggest the
viewer should focus on? Does the framing create new meaning between objects or people
in the image? Does the framing create any comparisons, contrasts or tensions within the
image? What effect does the photographer's point of view have on the picture's meaning?
If there are people in the photographs, what are they doing? How are they dressed? How
do they look? Do they convey any emotion or feeling?
Light:
Lighting can contribute to the mood and dramatic effect of an image, as well as make it
visible in the first place. How does the photograph make use of light? Did the
photographer use natural, available, or artificial light? Is the image well or poorly lit?
Does the photographer's use of light or shadow create or add meaning in the image?
Does lighting help achieve the overall effect in the photograph? Why might the
photographer have used light or shadow in a particular way?
Depth of Field:
Depth of field refers to the distance or range at which objects appear in sharp focus in
the frame. When depth of field is small, only some elements of the frame are in focus
(foreground, middle ground or background). When depth of field is large, all elements in
the frame will be in focus. How does the photographer use depth of field? What is in focus
in the frame? What is out of focus? What details are emphasized through focus?
Context:
What year was the photograph taken?
Who took the photograph?
What was the context or intended use of the photograph?
Has the photograph been altered for presentation? Has anything been added or removed
from the image? Does the image have a caption? Is it part of a sequence or collage?
Perspective:
What can you point out that the photographer specifically wants us to see/notice? How/In what ways is the photographer shaping our perspectives through the various tools above? Are there gender, socio-economic, cultural, political or any other agendas this photograph speaks to rhetorically?
OTHER TERMS TO KNOW AND USE
angle: the vantage point from which the photograph was taken; generally used when discussing a photograph taken from an unusual or exaggerated vantage point.
background: the part of a scene or picture that is or seems to be toward the back.
balance: the distribution of visual elements in a photograph. Symmetrical balance distributes visual elements evenly in an image. Asymmetrical balance is found when visual elements are not evenly distributed in an image.
central focus: the objects(s) which appears most prominently and/or most clearly focused in a photograph.
composition: the arrangement or structure of the formal elements that make up an image.
contour: the outline of an object or shape.
contrast: strong visual differences between light and dark, varying textures, sizes, etc.
framing: what the photographer has placed within the boundaries of the photograph.
setting: actual physical surroundings or scenery whether real or artificial.
vantage point: the place from which a photographer takes a photograph.