Semiotics
Semiotics is the study of signs, a sign is what we use to make sense of everything around us. There are two types of meaning you can get from signs, the denotation and the connotation. The denotation is the literal meaning of the sign, essentially what it is. The connotation is what you associate with it, this will change depending on the person due to their own personal experiences, culture and background. This means that the connotation will be what you believe that denotation symbolizes/means.
Semiotics is the study of signs, a sign is what we use to make sense of everything around us. There are two types of meaning you can get from signs, the denotation and the connotation. The denotation is the literal meaning of the sign, essentially what it is. The connotation is what you associate with it, this will change depending on the person due to their own personal experiences, culture and background. This means that the connotation will be what you believe that denotation symbolizes/means.
Juan Carlos Maria Isidro de Borbon - Hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, London, 1852
The denotation of this photograph is a hippopotamus sleeping on a concrete floor in its cage, and its surrounded by curious people of all ages looking down upon it. This photograph makes it seem that the people are the ones behind the bars instead of the hippopotamus as there are no bars in front of the hippo, however, if you look carefully you can see a very faint blurry line within the centre of the photograph which could be the other side of the cage just out of focus. In addition, on the bottom of the photograph you can see the reflection of the hippopotamus through a pool of water. Lastly, the centre of the hippopotamus's back you can see a dark mark which looks like some sort of bruise/injury. The connotation of this photograph suggests that the hippo is in discomfort as its lying on hard concrete with potentially a wound on its back that could of potentially been from an attack from the poacher who captured it. The reflection in the pool of water is there to highlight that the hippopotamus has been isolated and the closest it will get to seeing another of its kind again will be through a reflection in the water. Finally, the people looking down upon the hippopotamus are behind bars in this photograph whilst the hippo looks like its in the open, this could suggest that the photographer believes that those who entertain animal cruelty should be punished whilst the hippopotamus should be let free. The photographs punctum would be the children watching the trapped hippopotamus because it says a lot to me about how children were raised and how their moral beliefs were influenced negatively by adults. This element of the photograph makes me feel disheartened as children are meant to be these innocent beings, however, this photograph shows that due to the influence of tainted adults, kids lacked empathy for animals and saw them purely as entertainment. Lastly, the stadium of this photograph was 'The hippopotamus pictured here was captured in August 1849 on the banks of the White Nile in Africa and sent to Queen Victoria as a gift'.
William Klein - Little Italy, 1955
The denotation of this photograph is a gun being pointed and making contact with a smiling kid whilst two more kids stand close and also smile. The children in the photo are all wearing ragged clothing with dirt stains all over them. People can be seen walking behind them and buildings can also be seen behind them. Lastly, the anonymous figure that is pointing the gun cant be seen as the photograph ends before their face is revealed. The connotation of this photograph would suggest that the anonymous figure is holding a fake gun as the kids are smiling as if its some sort of game. We can also assume that the may not be financially stable as their clothes are dirty and ragged. Lastly, we can assume that this photograph was taken out in public as people can we seen walking behind them and buildings can be seen in the background. The photographs punctum would be the kid that has the gun pointed at him because I find it really disturbing to see a kid smile and stare directly at the gun thats being pointed at him.
Koen Wessing, Nicaragua, 1979
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The denotation of this photograph is a group of people grieving the death of an individual who is covered by a white sheet, however, one foot manages to stick out. Some individuals in the photograph can be seen by holding more white sheets and one can be seen blowing their nose. The ground is cracked and there are single story buildings in the back. The connotations of this photograph suggest that the people may be family members of the one who passed away as they have all gathered around and are having emotional reactions to the individuals passing. This can be seen when one of the woman are blowing their nose like they have been crying and the man in the centre of the photo who we can assume may have been the father, has his head down as if he is trying to hide his emotions. Lastly, the cracked ground and single story houses suggest that they don't live in a wealthy area. the punctum of this photograph for me is the individuals foot that has managed to stick out of the sheets as it makes me feel uneasy because it makes me realise that in this photograph you can see someones life being taken away in front of their loved ones which highlights the cruel reality that some people have to face.
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Photographer research - Garry Winogrand
During my investigation of Garry Winogrand I have realized that he purely focuses on capturing real life instead of the idea of taking a photograph. This is because he sees photographs as a still shot of time instead of an opportunity to make art. Winogrand spends his time capturing scenes in urban areas and he makes sure to stay aware of his surroundings so that he doesn't miss an opportunity to capture his reality. Some of his images are captured in a true-to-life fashion, however, sometimes his work can come across as an unorthodox way to tell the story of what he sees in front of him. For example, his image "The Hand Feeding Elephant Trunk, Zoo" this image depicts the long trunk of an elephant reaching over a fence to catch peanuts falling from the open hand of a man. Personally, I found Winogrands ideology of photography very fascinating because I personally function in a complete opposite way to him as I always enjoy focusing on making visually pleasing photographs before anything, however, after listening to Winogrand, my thought process behind taking photos has changed and I believe for the best so researching Winogrand was very successful as it has allowed me to be more open to capturing more raw scenes which will benefit my personal investigation.
Punctum definition
The punctum is an element of a photograph that makes the viewer feel a certain emotion without it being conveyed through symbolism. This type of reaction is unique to the individual viewer that is viewing the photograph. The punctum punctures the studium which results in the viewer being pierced.
Studium definition
The studium is the element of the photograph that draws the attention of its viewer. It can indicate the historical, culture or social meanings which are revealed through semiotic analysis, this reflects the intention of the photographer.
The punctum is an element of a photograph that makes the viewer feel a certain emotion without it being conveyed through symbolism. This type of reaction is unique to the individual viewer that is viewing the photograph. The punctum punctures the studium which results in the viewer being pierced.
Studium definition
The studium is the element of the photograph that draws the attention of its viewer. It can indicate the historical, culture or social meanings which are revealed through semiotic analysis, this reflects the intention of the photographer.
A semiotic analysis of my photograph
Denotation
In this photograph you can see a red and white ice-cream truck passing down the streets during the afternoon. There are multiple cars parked around the area which are being towered by three story buildings. Connotation This photograph suggests that its a hot day as there is an ice-cream truck out on the streets. You can also suggest that the van is coming to a stop or slowing down as the stopping lights are on. Lastly, if you look closely the front right wheel is turning to the left, therefore, we can tell that the ice-cream truck is turning to its left. |
The Punctum is the ice-cream truck as its makes me feel a sense of nostalgia from when I was younger and use to wait for the ice-cream truck to come around the block.