Reading Assessment I

Emma Ridley 

Professor Sally Bozzuto 

Digital Photography I 

September 24, 2018 

                                                                     Reading Assessment I

1.      Thesis: “Careful descriptive accounts by insightful critics using carefully constructed language offer the kind of informed discourse about photographs that increase our understanding and appreciation of photographs.” (36) 

2.      Examples that support this thesis are the principles for describing photographs such as descriptions being factual, criticized, and data-processed. Also, the description of a photograph is highly dependent on interpretation, and relevancy is a determining factor to figure out if a photograph is intellectually stimulating or productive or not.

3.      Description is the logical explanation for information that one gathers, which includes the photographer’s subject matter, medium, and form. The description of a photograph includes all the who, what, when, and where’s; the origin of the photograph, which can influence the significance and/or value of the piece. Subject is more flexible in terms of interpretation and follows the lines of “theme or meaning,” whereas subject matter is a more technical term of what is occurring in a photograph. For example, in a photograph of two people hugging, the subject matter is the people, and the subject is whatever one’s interpretation of the photograph (again, theme/meaning). Form is simply the display of the photo presented. This ties into composition of visual technicalities, such as arrangement and organization (or lack thereof). Medium contains the ingredients of a photograph. There is much significance to this element, as it attaches connotations to a photograph, such as the elements to physically make the piece. Style is the artists own flare or spin on an image. To incorporate style into a photograph, one must know their subject matter and work around this. Petra Collins is a great example of a photographer that has a specific sense of style because of her repetitive use of color palettes and subject matter. 

4.      One compares and differs photograph’s the same as any other subject matter: by taking two or more pieces of work and noticing similarities and contrasts within the works. What Barrett is trying to articulate is that critics should not limit their comparisons between photographers because critics lean more towards finding differences than similarities. While it is completely valid and sometimes healthy to exercise comparing photography, this should not be a tool that is constantly utilized unless completely necessary. Internal and external sources of information simply help one gather more information on the photograph to better comprehend it. For a critic, using internal and external sources allows them to pick and choose what they believe is relevant or irrelevant in a piece, and how the relevancy of those sources affect the photographs legitimacy.  

5.      Barrett states, “it is probably as impossible to describe without interpreting as it is to interpret without describing.” (34) Clearly, Barrett believes that both ideas go hand in hand; they complete each other. By describing an image, one can better interpret it. To interpret a photograph, one must consider and evaluate every factor that goes into it. Barrett believes there is simply no point to have an opinion on something that one has no information on. To critique and to evaluate is to know the elements that are incorporated in a photograph. However, evaluations can be mixed into descriptions. An evaluation often must be persuasive, as a critic wants the reader to latch onto their idea and their interpretation. To do this, tying their description into their evaluation makes logical sense. Evaluations tend to attach positive or negative connotations to a piece of work. When the description of a photograph tends to have a positive or negative connotation, the evaluation follows the same format.  

6.     In this chapter, Barrett was trying to get the reader to understand the significance of the elements of critiquing photography, and how being able to define and identify these elements will expand your knowledge in photography. Barrett also wanted the reader to understand that subject and subject matter, while similar, are two different ideas. The subject is the interpretation, the idea of a photograph, while the subject matter is what is physically in the photograph taken. I learned the significance of interpretation, description, and evaluation. This was extremely eye-opening to me, knowing that interpretation and description go hand in hand, whereas evaluation is influenced by description. Also, learning about the value of comparing and differing separate photographers and finding contrast and similarities within. By doing this, it can not only help you find what you want in your own photography, but also understand the technicalities of taking a photo on a more personal level. The author’s conclusion is that by knowing how to describe an image, this will help one not only become more educated in the art of photography, but also allow one to strengthen passion for it. If one is able to clearly articulate their image and the meaning behind it, then one can fully flourish in the art of photography. I personally loved this chapter. I gained a ton of perspective that I lacked before in terms of learning new elements of critiquing photography. Before reading this, I would look at a photograph and ask myself if it was pleasing to look at or not, rather than ask myself if I enjoy the medium and style of it more than the form and subject matter. It was fascinating to me that there are so many technicalities that go into validly critiquing a photograph. Going forward, I can look at my own work and attempt to apply these elements in order to better myself as a photographer.