The Basics of Photography
From the Beginner’s View Point
Photography began, arguably, in 1839. Photography was first divided into the two oldest categories: Art and Science. As an art form it is divided into sub-categories: Pictorialist and Purist. Pictorialists manipulated photos and effects were produced. Purists took straight forward photos with no manipulation, where means where emloyed.
Today, there are six categories of photography. The first category is Descriptive. These photos deal with visual information, such as ID photos, medical x-rays, and NASA space photos. The second category is Explanatory. These photos deal with subject matter specific to a particular time or place. They are usually used in case studies or surveys. The third category is Interpretive. These photos explain how things are but in a abstract way personal to the subject; there is more emotion. The forth category is Ethically Evaluative. These photos make ethical judgements and praise or condemn society; they show how things ought to be and make a statement, sometimes political. The fifth category of photos can be classified as is Aesthetically Evaluative. These photos deal with aesthetic observation and contemplation. It is about the ‘wonder of visual form’; it can be an overlap of the categories of Descriptive and Interpretive. Lastly, the sixth and final category is Theoretical. These photos pertain to art, art making, politics of art, modes or representation, photographs about photos, and film.
The five most important characteristics of photography are described by John Szarkowki. The first is ‘The Thing Itself’, which is the subject matter. The second characteristic is the Detail, which is the fact of things. The third characteristic is the Frame; which is the selected scene which captures the elements of a photograph such as subject matter. The forth characteristic is Time; which deals with the exposure or motion of the photograph. And lastly, the fifth characteristic is Vantage Point, which provides a view of the world from a specific viewpoint.
The Thing Itself
The Detail
The Frame
Time
Vantage Point
My ‘Photograph’ Interpretation
My interpretation of a photograph consists of what I believe to be the most two important characteristics, mentioned by John Szarkowski: The Thing Itself and Frame. I believe The Thing Itself (in this case, a Wonder Woman figurine glued to the glass of a picture frame) is the main subject matter, reason, and basis for the photograph. The Frame is what holds and captures The Thing Itself; making it a photograph.
