SIMPLIFIED CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Critical Analysis is not as difficult as you might think. Here is a web site
with a really good explanation of it all!
http://www.learnnc.org/articles/vlphoto0602-1
TIPS
- Keep your sentences as short as possible.
- Avoid words you don't understand or ask about them.
- However, try to use as many "clever" words as possible - look in
the glossaries and - guess what - if you don't understand ASK!
- Don't copy someone else's words - use your own (avoid plagiarism)
- Say what you think, not what your friends might say or what you think I
might say!
- The questions that follow are guides - you can't answer all of them.
Fundamental principles are:
Describe the background and content (studium) of the photograph.
- Imagine you are trying to talk to your friend about it, only you are
talking on the telephone to your friend!
- State the name of the photographer, when it was taken and what you know
about it.
- What do you think the photographer was trying to do?
- If you can't say any of these things - say so!
- Explain why you have chosen this photograph as one to write about
- Does it have a specific context e.g. landscape, portrait, fashion, still
life, reportage, macro etc.
- Do you know anything about the equipment and film (or digital!) used, or
likely to have been used? Any reason why the artist may have chosen this
rather than the standard one we amateurs might use?
- Is it B&W or colour? Fast film or slow? Normal or infra-red?
- What is the principle subject(s)? Close in? Far away? Why?
- Anything to note specifically about the composition. for example, does the
artist use the rule of thirds? Has he/she used diagonals, triangles etc?
What effect have these had?
- Anything to note about perspective?
- How about the focusing...is it very shallow depth of field? Or very deep
depth of field? How does he/she achieve this? Why has the artist done it?
- Is the angle used unusual - from high up, low down, tilted sharply?
- Is there any thing to note about the lighting? (e.g. gentle, hard, at an
angle, from behind, artificial, flash sunlight etc.
- Can you place its obvious context from the photograph alone?
- Describe the position of other parts and details of the photograph,
especially those which play an important part within it
Is there a PUNCTUM?
In other words, can you identify anything especially unusual or striking
about it that really makes the photograph stand out? Again, if not, say so!
Now Interpret the Photograph
- Does the picture have any immediate effect on you - admiration? Envy?
Erotic? Distaste? Revulsion? Merely interested? Or just don't like!
- Explain exactly what it is about the picture that has this effect on you.
- How do you think the lighting and composition help this effect.
- Do you think that this was the photographer's intention?
- How does it relate to other photographs by this particular artist? Is it
one of series?
- How does it relate to other photographers' work of that type?
- If so why? If not why not! Give your REASONS based on the photograph.
- Can you think of anyway in which you can improve it?
Particular Types of Photographs and their questions
Portraits / Fashion
- what sort of cultural background is there? e.g. status in society
- what is happening in the photograph
- Does the background mean anything? Some cultures like having props that
give markers about status - or presumed status!
- anything about body language - intimacy? distance?
- how does the subject(s) feel about themselves and their bodies? Showing
off? Hiding? Seductive? High self-esteem or low? Why do say that?
- what do you think about the emotional statement of the person - e.g. shy,
modest, proud, mad, superior, anxious, angry, bright, curious, sexy,
distant, etc etc.
- why do you say that - what features or stance suggest these?
- if a group can you say anything about their relationships? - are they
happy, tense, relaxed, intimate, distant? Can you read anything into their
body language?
- is there any movement or action in the photograph? Why do you think that?
(e.g. motion blur)
- how do you feel about the photograph? Would you pose for this photographer
and how? Could you be part of the group?
- What about their background? - wealthy? poor? upper class? working class?
immigrant? any racial messages?
Other Comments
All photographs contain non-coded and coded messages.
A non-coded message is a part of the picture that can only be interpreted
literally - a football is a football.
A coded message is how a part of the picture has an overlying interpretation,
e.g. a man in football top and shorts with a football - then the message becomes
coded, i.e. a footballer or a football enthusiast. Usually it is a bit more
subtle than that...
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