The Photogrpah Chapter One

The Photograph Chapter One

Thus far, I have enjoyed this book much much more than Practices of Looking. I can honestly say that I have never thought about the first photograph and was thoroughly pleased to get to see a copy of the original in our book on page 12. I think that it may be a characteristic of my generation…not to consider where something came from or the time period in which it originated. The thought of the picture taking hours and hours to reproduce its subject is appalling; now we click the button and BAM we have a picture. I have never thought of the process in any other way.

The photograph can tell more than what it exactly tells. One must keep in mind the choices of the photographer…size, framing, color, type, etc. This can also tell a great deal not only about the photograph itself but also about the photographer, or artist. I learned on page 22 that a portrait is vertical and a landscape is horizontal…the first words that came to my mind: Who knew?

Perhaps the most important idea to consider when reflecting on photography as a whole is that we as a viewer bring the meaning to the picture. The artist can want us to think or notice one thing, and maybe we will get the story or idea that the photographer is trying to display. But the beauty of photography is that each picture becomes a different story for each viewer. For me it is like dance. The choreographer has something that they are trying to relay the audience, but chances are good that the piece will speak to people in completely different ways than the artist intended. This is the beauty of art.