CONNOTATIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Rachel Geeson

StrengthThis photo shows strength through fighting through a physical ailment and the emotional strength it takes to go through traumatic experiences as well as showing the literal strength of using his upper body to support his legs. The shot is taken from a low angle to make Peter look more powerful which adds to the impact of demonstrating strength, he is also in the centre of the shot to show that he is the focus of the image. I also used photoshop to turn up the brightness and contrast to make the photo appear positive.

Poverty This image demonstrates poverty by showing a person who seems hopeless, he is sitting by a dirty drain facing upwards in a pleading or hopeless manner to show that he has nothing. I took this shot from above to show that he is at the lowest point in his life. I also tried to include more negative space around him to make it seem as though he is small or insignificant or that his surroundings overwhelm him. I also used the burn tool in photoshop to darken the image so it seems more negative, as there was a bright sunlight in the photo beforehand.

LoveTo represent love I took a close up shot of a couple hugging, I think this shows love in a very well-known but still heart-warming way. Most friendships and relationships express their love through hugs and smiles, so this photo universally represents love. I also increased the vibrancy and saturation in photoshop to make this photo warmer to closer represent love.

FearFor this photo I manually changed the setting on the camera to increase aperture for motion blur, I feel that this helps represent fear in a very primal way as fear is a very fleeting and fast-paced emotion. When we think of fear we often think of running, which is a basic principle of the flight or fight response that we all experience. I also wanted this to take place on the metal stairs as there is an added sense of danger into the situation, looking down on the person running away. I also used the selective colour filter to increase the cyan and decrease the reds as greens and blues can be seen as cold colours and reds are seen as warm.

DesireIn this photo the couple are content but there is also a shot of someone looking over at them, this can show jealousy as well as desire, as it can be interpreted that he may be in love with one of the people in the couple. I increased magenta in Photoshop to create more of an ambience to suit the mood of the photo.

DangerIn this photo Ethan is looking over a ledge implying a dangerous drop, the grey cold environment makes it seem even more eerie, his back is also turned to the camera which makes it seem even creepier as you can’t see his face.

WealthThis photo shows a more unconventional image for wealth, which is friendship and laughter which is one of the most important things to a happy life. Laughter is taken for granted but I think that laughter is one of the most precious gifts someone can have. It’s a very bright and happy photograph and shows wealth of colour.

WeaknessIn this photo I wanted to show a weakness that I often experience myself; which is lack of self-control. Showing myself reaching for an unhealthy cake instead of the fruit or cereal around it connotes giving in to your desires rather than having self-control. In photoshop I used the blur tool to blur all the food except for the cake to bring more focus to it and show that it is an important part of the photo.

PurityWater is often associated with purity and it creates a really beautiful sparkling effect. The green from the plant also adds to the effect of nature and purity. In Photoshop I increased the brightness and vibrancy increases the connection to purity and innocence.

Loneliness The photo shows loneliness in a very direct way, showing Ethan sat alone on a bench. I intentionally put him at the end of the shot with a lot of space around him to make the effect of being alone seem greater. I also wanted to make sure I got the people in the other room in the shot because often people can be extremely lonely even surrounded by people. I also had him reading a book because something that a lot of people may do when they’re lonely is try to make themselves look busy or distract themselves from the fact that they are lonely. I then put on a black and white filter as it adds a very sad and dramatic effect.

FriendshipFor this photo I intentionally made it look like a ‘selfie’ because a lot of young friends take selfies together, being silly and laughing. I also intentionally made sure it was slightly out of focus to make it seem as though it was spur of the moment. Having us laughing and close shows friendship. In Photoshop I increased vibrancy, brightness and contrast to liven it up and make it happier.

GreedIn this photo I wanted to show greed through having an excess of technology, it connotes greed because of the protective hold he has on his items and how laughable it is to have that many phones that you can’t use. I also did a top down shot because I wanted to show that greed is low and can destroy compassion and humility.