Photographs give us the impression that we are seeing some part of the world and sharing the view of it with the photographer who saw it in his viewfinder. This is not just confined to photographs, but the camera's perspective closely matches our own vision - a familiar world. This makes the clues easier to read.
Photographs use language to explain meaning. Index - information about the creation of the photograph, but not about its meaning. Words (descriptions) are required to add meaning. ie “the photo is of my mother”. The descriptions indicate how it is to be ‘read’ - index, icon or symbol.
Bound by cultural code, each person has a unique personality, set of beliefs, opinions, and in order to convey that identity we use our body as a canvas to project that identity. Differing cultures may perceive signs differently. For example, colours, which can be highly symbolic, vary in meaning from one culture to another. People can also have their own highly personal symbols based on their unique personality and history. If you saw a baby bird die next to a rose bush, you might associate roses with death.
"Photography genres can be crudely allocated to the categories of sign: index, icon and symbol." (Clive Scott, Basic Critical Theory for Photographers.)
Index - photojournalism, documentary, portrait, photogram, pornography and family shapshot. Icon - fashion, nude, photo-story and landscape.
Symbol - allegory, photomontage and advertising.
All index genres can move towards being icons. All symbol genres can move towards being iconic. Fashion and photo-story can move to either of the other categories .Nude and landscape can move to being index Photographs move between the classifications.
Index Icon - Past reality - Punctum (personal)
Icon - Present use - Studium
Photographs use language to explain meaning. Index - information about the creation of the photograph, but not about its meaning. Words (descriptions) are required to add meaning. ie “the photo is of my mother”. The descriptions indicate how it is to be ‘read’ - index, icon or symbol.
Bound by cultural code, each person has a unique personality, set of beliefs, opinions, and in order to convey that identity we use our body as a canvas to project that identity. Differing cultures may perceive signs differently. For example, colours, which can be highly symbolic, vary in meaning from one culture to another. People can also have their own highly personal symbols based on their unique personality and history. If you saw a baby bird die next to a rose bush, you might associate roses with death.
"Photography genres can be crudely allocated to the categories of sign: index, icon and symbol." (Clive Scott, Basic Critical Theory for Photographers.)
Index - photojournalism, documentary, portrait, photogram, pornography and family shapshot. Icon - fashion, nude, photo-story and landscape.
Symbol - allegory, photomontage and advertising.
All index genres can move towards being icons. All symbol genres can move towards being iconic. Fashion and photo-story can move to either of the other categories .Nude and landscape can move to being index Photographs move between the classifications.
Index Icon - Past reality - Punctum (personal)
Icon - Present use - Studium
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