Option 3: The Art of Photography
Who owns the meaning of a photograph? The subject? The viewer? Or, the artist?
Wing said, “I like when photographs are ambiguous.” What does he mean by that? Do you agree?
How might a camera and a photograph “make the familiar unfamiliar”? How might they help you to see in a new way?
What did Wing mean when he said, “When I am reading a photograph, I’m reading a story?”
What a “good” photograph?
The viewer and the artist own the meaning of a photograph. The artist is the one who puts out the original meaning of the photograph but each viewer has their own individual interpretation of each photograph.
When an artist is taking a photograph or making a project they make it from their heart. When they take the photo they plan out each lighting and setting based on their personality. The artist will always know the meaning of the photograph and own that meaning because they are the one who created it and they are the one who knows just what it means.
The viewer also owns the meaning of the photograph. When the viewer is looking at a photograph they get to believe whatever they want about it. Everything is up for individual interpretation and every person sees a photograph differently.
When looking at a photograph it is much more than just a picture. It is a story. There is a story behind every photograph and by looking at the smallest details you can learn something about the person, place or thing in that photo.
Thanks for your reflections! You write that the artist holds the original meaning of the photograph, or at least, the intention behind why the photograph was taken. But, later in your post, you comment, "there is a story behind every photograph and by looking...you can learn something about the person." is the viewer learning about the photographer and the photographer's viewpoint? Or is the viewer learning about the subject of the photograph? Or both? Does the subject have any ownership of the meaning of a photograph?
ReplyDeleteWhen looking at a photograph it is much more than just a picture. It is a story. There is a story behind every photograph and by looking at the smallest details you can learn something about the person, place or thing in that photo." I really agree with this. That is a very strong idea that not a lot of people actually think of. Most people just view photos as a way to keep a memory of an event, but it's cool that you veiw photos as stories as well.
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