How imagery is used to communicate ideas.
(Fine art, Advertising & Photo-Journalism)
In this report I will be discussing how fine art, advertising and photo journalism are used to communicate ideas through meaning and analysis. I will include reference to books, websites/ blogs and tv programs to back up my evidence.
Fine art is a visual art considered to have been created primarily for aesthetic and intellectual purposes and judged for its beauty and meaningfulness, specifically in painting, sculpture, drawing, watercolour, graphics, and architecture.
According to Visual Methods in Psychology, fine art allows people to communicate their ideas through epistemology allowing their work to be vibrant, evocative and accessible. Therefore it allows artist to express themselves within their creativity.
Furthermore it allows artists to communicate their ideas through their own experience (Richard Brown). It shows creativity and a unique flair. In addition, fine art also produces an exhibition that shows a level of intellect in its audience and it also avoids creating an exhibition that feels alienating or patronising or bland. (Refer to research paper page 1 ).
Fine art is also used to communicate ideas through eye level with the help of a telephoto lens which can be used if the subject is far away from the photographer. Personally, I think fine art creates the space to allow you to decide what you want to feel about a certain photograph because it evokes a reaction inside and makes you feel something.
The use of natural ambient light was used to take this photo on the right , as artificial lighting was not necessary. The close up is used to stable the ideas of light and clarity. The use of aperture helps create a realistic look and feel in the picture.
Fine art tends to render bright highlights for example. Soft texture can be used when shooting with the widest aperture and the use of colour contrast helps to brighten up the picture in order to make it more realistic. From the book I researched, (Fine Art 101), artists tend to have a planned image inside of their heads and are then able to create the desired effect using that image.
Another way fine art usually captures peoples eyes is when there is a contrast between two objects; such as when air and water create a frosty affect (Right). The image shows the rich colours of the horizon, and the contrast of the blue and white sky help apply to the rule of thirds helping to create meaning and provoking thought. In addition, the aperture of the camera has helped to create a depth of field showing an endless sense of an ocean.
When shooting objects, you can create an unusual and evocative sense of imagery within fine art. The use of the focus (f/8) (right) makes the image clear and vibrant and the details of the bricks help show the structure and textual context that fine art offers. Similar to the rainy windows, this helps tell the story of someone being inside on a rainy day, creating a sense of doom and gloom, whilst the ocean helps create a sense of resort oceanic theme.
The Bruce Davidson fine art photo here creates a dark shadowy atmosphere, with the black clothes, shadowing and background, with very little light. Post production most likely took place with the image (right), which could have been taken in colour and then changed into monochrome. This enhances a more serious eery look. There is also a slight vignette towards the top of the image which has been added afterwards to help create the dark theme.
Fine art also creates emotions and feelings. For example this extract from a fine art blog (right) helps show that humans are likes dogs, the rule of 3 is apparent here. The texture on the fur makes the costume look more realistic and furthermore the use of realism is shown with the dog collar , a typical domestic dog. The wooden panel helps show the texture and is a symbol of realism, reinforcing how fine art is used to showcase ideas.
The use of the window here which lets in the bright light, helps give the picture more life and space. The Queen is shown to look quite solitary and the use of the aperture helps to create this. Behind the Queen , the light glows radiantly which makes the image look more natural.
The use of facial expressions in this picture (right), helps captures the artist’s face so we as humans can relate to it. We can also deduce that the clothes are from the Victorian period age and the dark background helps create a serious solemn mood, perhaps reflecting the period itself.
The image (right below), shows a different kind of human portrayal. The silhouette of the head contrasts sharply against the white of the sky in the background and we can see trees on the horizon. Perhaps the white light of the sky resembles a ray of hope for the dark figure in the foreground, as the trees reach up into that light sky.
Advertising photography is creating images with the purpose of selling a product. It’s still meant to evoke feelings, but with the intention of making us purchase something. Promotional photography may be used to build up a brand.
This image is controlled as the subject knows the camera is there. The subject of the photograph, Leonardo Di Caprio is posing for the photo which means the image is manipulated or set up. The use of non eye contact helps people to look at the watch rather than engage directly with his face. The suit looks expensive, and we know the subject is wealthy, therefore this photo says wealth and success and is probably aimed at wealthy people, or those that want to think they are wealthy. It’s interesting to see that the watch is under the rule of three, to be placed correctly.
A wide lens is used for this picture to capture a large amount of the scene and a telephoto lens is used to capture details that are further away in the picture. This affects the image as the amount of detail within the image will differentiate due to the lens used. If a telephoto lens is used, there will be a narrow view in order to capture objects that are far away. The use of the subject wearing glasses can resemble intellect and the watch can resemble someone being wealthy.
The image here from Omega’s blog (above), was produced in a studio and therefore the lighting is artificial, which can hide the truth, or manipulate it. The use of the clean new shirt on George Clooney indicates it’s someone taking pride in their appearance. We can also see the use of eye contact here helps people engage directly with the subject.
The text in this photo was added during post production, the colours of the crayons have been enhanced to make them stand out and capture peoples attention. They contrast brightly with the black and white background. You would look twice at this and take time to read the advert because the reader isn’t used to seeing crayons in a cigarette box. It grabs attention.
The film advertising image on the right fuses street lighting with the poster to create the image. The photography may’ve been taken with a flash however it’s mainly ambient lighting. The lasers reinforce the Star Wars theme to make it look more realistic, its bold and clear and will most likely stand out on the street, serving it’s purpose.
This photo makes use of an almost invisible TV screen looking through into an every day domestic setting. The room could be anybody’s. The subject here mimics real life, which enables people to believe this product is very realistic and would fit in their home being unobtrusive. The light from the windows makes the photo look brighter and inviting. The walls are bright and the room is uncluttered. The audience can relate to this setting and would be able to feel that the product would fit in perfectly.
Photojournalism is the study of real situations through photography to show a realistic view on current affairs. This can be anything from war photography, sport photography or paparazzi.
The type of lens that has been used here is a telephoto lens, as the photographer needs to get closer to the subject to capture the scene without having to get too near. With a telephoto lens, the details in the image will be much clearer. The object is looking away from the camera as he may not know this photo has been taken but the overall feel is one of realism.
The image from Tiv’s photo- journalism’s blog on the right uses stark artificial lighting to create a cold bare feeling. It helps demonstrate these objects are on their own and may be in trouble within society. The light makes the objects stand out more and highlights how they are swollen up by society. We can infer from this photo, there is likely to be a hidden message which can be shows ; people need more care from the government.
The photo on the right has very little post production as it’s a naturalistic shot which reflects the portrayed innocence of Hollywood actors (like James Dean here) during the 1950s. This is confirmed through the lack of editing. Dean is photographed in the foreground but somehow he seems on the periphery reflecting how he may have felt marginalised for his sexuality and how isolated he was within society. The use of the black and white helps create this cold tone and feeling within the picture.
The screenshot of The Man Who Shot the Sixties video, shows a troubled person which may be lost within an alter ego. The white background shows the light and hope with society and the shadow can resemble how society can impact a mans life and possibly damage it. It feels sinister and empty. The clothes could show the way the subject expresses himself thought the conflict and pain of show business.
The screenshot of “History of Photojournalism”, shows the life of soldiers during war. The use of trees and the soldiers are realistic and the style is purposely very naturalistic as the intent is to contribute to the media in order to tell a story and therefore was not controlled. However, feelings are manipulated in a sense that the person viewing the photo can only see part of the scene, therefore, it could be misleading.
In conclusion, fine art, advertising and photo journalism are all used to communicate ideas through meaning and analysis. Having looked at books, websites/ blogs and tv programmes in order to back up my evidence, I believe I can now demonstrate a solid understand of how imagery is used to communicate various ideas.
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