6. A PROPER PICTURE

We can all take pictures very easily. But do we think about what the picture may look like as we press the button to take the photo?  Are we just “snapping” something – a person or a place? Or do we want the photograph to look “just right”? What is the purpose of our taking the photograph?

Task 

We have collected various images of weddings. Look at these images and discuss in class about the purpose for which they were created and, if applied to another context, they can change meaning

What you have done is to create a list of generic CONVENTIONS – aspects of an image which allows the viewer to instantly understand what the genre is and what might be happening in the image. The artist has used our experience of previous images, both still and moving, in order to help us understand what is going on in the image. 

Task 

Now try to collect together images around another topic , for example food, a sporting event, which illustrate different purposes for taking the pictures.