Gaze.

Gaze is a term used to describe the anxious state that comes with the awareness that one can be viewed;

Kress and van Leeuwen describe a two-valued relation to people depicted: either they look at the viewer, and so make a “demand” for recognition, acknowledgement, response, or they are not looking at the viewer, and in a sense “offer” themselves for viewing as “third persons” ( Reading Images, pp. 121-130.)

Hieronymus Bosch's - The Conjurer.

While the other figures within this painting above observe other objects, the woman in green observes the viewer. The painting thus makes the viewer aware of being on display (the woman in the green is holding an extra-diegetic gaze and the others are displaying an intra-diegetic gaze.)

As a viewer this makes you feel more included in the painting, as well as more aware of the presence of the woman wearing the green drawing much more attention to her than the rest of the women within the image. Perhaps this was a technique used to highlight her importance because it definitely makes her character stand out. In this case, Bosch has successfully managed to establish some-sort of relationship between this character and the viewer. In order to highlight someones importance or role within the narrative of an image this is clearly a successful technique to use...

Fashion (Juicy Couture)

The image above is an advertisement promoting the brand 'Juicy Couture.' Juicy Couture is a contemporary line of casual and dressy apparel based in Los Angeles California and they are known for their signature velvour tracksuits as well as other clothing and accessories. The line is sold in upscale department stores such as Bloomingdales, Gus Mayer, Nordstorm and Saks Fifth Avenue. Juicy Couture is marketed as a high-end clothing line aimed at people within the age category for 10 and 26.

In terms of graphic design, the 'Juicy Couture' text brand logo within the image accompanies the visual message - by including this the image now makes much more sense to the audience as it informs them of its purpose. It has also been used as a device to persuade the audience to purchase the products that they are discreetly advertising within the picture.

With the use of advanced technology this image has been made to look particularly flawless; it looks somewhat unrealistic and almost magical in the way that it is presented (the content is far from what you would percieve a picnic with friends to appear like in a real-life situation) - it is farfetched, glamourous and provides escpaism for the audience. Perhaps a hidden meaning here is that if you purchase and wear their products you can be and act like the people portayed - unique, free and exciting.

As the image is very different to those that you generally see in fashion advertisements it stands out. Elements such as the busy foreground of the picture (made up of unsual objects), uniquely dressed models displaying 'random' actions, and the bold, bright(ish) colours within all contribute to this. The colours used in particular create a very summery, adventurous feel. The narrative of the image (the enjoyment of a picnic), the clothing i.e. skirts and t-shirts, and the use of natural and bright colours allow the audience to depict that a purpose of the image is to attract their attention to Juicy Couture's summer product range. The background also appears out of focus in comparrison to the foreground, this makes the more important details within the image stand out at the same time as allowing the more natural setting to still be depicted.

The whole mise-en-scene of the image is very unusual in the way that it appears to present it's narrative, it takes the viewer to a happy place and expresses the enjoyment of the people within the setting. The setting is peaceful, and the combination of the trees in the background and the model playing the guitar make this more obvious to the audience (the sound of a guitar is often associated with a sound that soothes us). There is great contrast between the bold colours, the actions of the models, the different objects and vibrant characters and the somewhat peaceful narrative the image portrays. This makes the image interesting, individual, and almost 'dream like' - as the viewer of the image you are almost there wrapped up in this everyday event which has been made so look so unusual, peaceful, colourful and vibrant all at the same time. This image is very fun, it almost makes you want to join in with their party. Perhaps a message here is that if you purchase their products you can share the same kind of excitement being portrayed.

The viewers eye moves around this image with curiosity, the overall picture keeps the eye very busy and definitely holds the viewers attention. As a viewer you want to know what each of these characters are doing and find some sort of explanation for their behaviour, they obviously look comfortable and relaxed in this setting enough to behave and dress so unusually - this promotes their comfortable, attractive clothing range and the confidence associated with wearing it. The eye is led around the entire image before focusing on specific interesting images, for example; as a viewer I was attracted to each of the characters clothing, their actions and then to the random objects which (when given time to think about it) actually fit into the setting just in this case in a 'loud' kind of way. Perhaps this shows how much thought was put into the creation of this image - the creator wants you to notice the clothing then associate them with the actions and surroundings.

As the viewpoint of this image is also at eye-level, it allows the image to connect with the audience much more - you become the models' equal allowing you to identify and relate to them more easily. It also makes you feel much more like you are there with them.

The physical appearance of the models within the image also cannot be evaluated on a personal aesthetic level or by artisic preference as there are no universally agreed upon principles of beauty and ugliness, and in this image there is no specific focus on any particular model or their beauty. This not only allows their products to reach out to a mass audience but allows the clothing which the models are wearing to make a statement as opposed to the models themselves - which relates to the aim of selling their products.

It is obvious to the viewer that the intended target audience for the image is both male and female as models of both sexes are portrayed, and also those belonging of a young age similar to that of those presented within the image. All the models are also posing differently perhaps this was a technique used to portray individuality  - reaching out to a majority rather than a minority.

As a person who likes Juicy Couture, I found much meaning within this image. For exmaple, the cake that has been positioned within the center of the frame (perhaps to draw the viewer in as the cake itself is a piece of art) can be associated with 'sweetness' - as a large amount of their clothing is of pastel, 'sugary' colours (although not expressed so much in this image) this sweetness may relate to the appearance of some of their popular clothing lines. The sweets within the foreground may also relate to this.

Another Juicy Couture image that interests me is the one above, which is advertising one of the brands signature perfumes. Once again this image contains unusual objects which do not appear to 'fit together' to create a whole; such as the zebra's head placed on the wall, the surf board and the oversized shoe on the floor. These objects once again make the image unique and are certainly intriguing to the viewer; they almost draw the audience in. The light coming from the window also makes the picture bright and stand out rather than dull as much of the foreground appears. What interests me most in this image, however, is the size of the perfume bottle, it absolutely dominates the picture and takes up a large amount of the frame. This to me, was an obvious attempt at showing how empowering the perfume can be -  and the models within the image are almost worshipping the perfume by surrounding and touching it. This perhaps represents the quality of the product and how sucessful it is.

He is highly regarded as one of the most prominent explorers of visual communication and sight-related theories. He described "seeing" as being the sum of sensing, selecting, and perceiving...

"The more you see, the more you know."
- Aldous Huxley

Dior - J'adore (Charlize Theron)

In terms of composition this television advertisement has been put together with conscious thought certainly relating to design, form, visual ordering and formal structure. In this advertisement celebrity endorsement has certainly been used as a technique in order to grip the audience. As Charlize Theron is well known, those who idolise her in some way or aspire to be more like her are more likely to purchase the product. I have chosen this advertisement mainly because to me as a viewer it generates a lot of meaning.

Firstly, when Charlize removes her clothing towards the end of the advert this appears to symbolise confidence and the feeling of being sexually attractive without clothing. Perhaps this technique was used so that women associate wearing the perfume with confidence and attractiveness, encouraging to them to purchase the product.

As the media texts primary function is to possibly promote Dior as well as to sell the actual product, text is provided at the end of the advertisement which anchors the images within it. This makes the meaning of the images within the media text more obvious to the audience.

Theron's pose is seductive, but not too revealing - to me this signifies class. Also, her direct gaze not only connects her with the audience but delivers even more confidence.

The furniture in the background is periodic which symbolises wealth. This suggests that the perfume is designed perhaps for those belonging to a high(ish) socio-economic background and also shows to a certain degree that the perfume is 'classy.'

The tanned, golden colours within the advertisement make it very sophisticated and also symbolise wealth. Charlize herself appears 'golden' making her look healthy and attractive.

The viewpoint greatly influences the viewer's interpretation of the image, Theron works with the camera, and the low camera angle empowers her, allowing her to dominate the screen. She also appears more dramatic as she almost fills the frame - all attention is diverted away from the background and on to Charlize Theron.

In the media text it is also apparent that stereotyping is a technique that has been used. The advertisement is very feminine in the way that it empowers women, and personally I think that many women will hold many of the same values in which the advert portrays.

My Morning Walk

Firstly, I determined what the focus of my photographs were going to be. In order to remain organised, I composed the pictures elements according to my points of interest that I came across. The elements of my photographs have been arranged with the consideration of several factors in order to create harmonious wholes. My aim was to take photographs which would work together to produce a desired statement - in this case a sense of peace and harmony. It is said to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the elements within the work are arranged in a balanced and compositional way.

 The curved lines within these photographs create a sense of flow within the images - making them more aesthetically pleasing as they are associated with soft things. This provides a greater dynamic influence in the photographs. The curved lines within the images also give grated shadows - this paired with soft-directional lighting results in a very harmonious line structure within pictures.

Oblique lines within the water of the photographs and often also the grassy banking convey a sense of movement. This makes the photographs appear more 'wild' and natural.

Colour is often associated with particular moods, in this case the natural green and brown colours within the image contrasted with the natural light from the sun reflecting on the water creates a sense of peace. The white can be said to symbolise the purity of the natural running water.



Oblique Lines



    

Natural Light

                    

The distance from the intended subject (in most cases in these photographs the subject is the stream), also effects whether the photograph is actually a scenic view or of something in particular. Positioning also effects how the viewers eye is led around the image. For example, in the photograph above the eye is attracted to the light being reflected in the water before gradually taking in the entire image as it is in central position and also stands out against the more 'dull' natural colours. Where as in most of the photographs above the eye doesn't just focus on mainly one part of the image but is led around both the foreground and background.

The overall effect of these photographs reflect my mood on my walk this morning - it gives the viewer a sense of peace and harmony - and perhaps of being at one with nature along and the natural. The realistic imagery also gives the viewer a sense of actually being there.

Lighting and Photography

'Understanding lighting is fundamental to good photography and a good photographer learns to paint with light. How any image is lit will change how the viewer sees and interprets the content.' (David Prakel - Lighting, 2007).

It is mastery of light that marks out the work of the truly great photographers. By knowing the rules that light obeys and understanding some of it's qualities and composition can help a photographer to work with light. It is important in photography that images are not spoilt with flare, lost highlights and shadow detail or colours that lack saturation. Time of day, for example, is an important decision in photography as it determines the direction/angle of light and also colour quality. Supplementing natural light with flash can make the subject of the photograph, or landscape for example, look entirely different. I tried this out by taking photographs of a view of my garden and using the flash, no flash and auto settings on my camera (examples are below):

No Flash - natural light is visible giving the image a more realistic effect. The natural light allows more detail on the trees to be depicted, and there is also enough light given to show some detail of the flowers. However, the image is quite dark and gloomy which is not always appealing for a viewer.

 

Flash - Using flash often results in loss of detail, and in this case there quite a difference in colour and focus of detail. However, this photograph appears much less 'dull' and much more summery.

Auto - This photograph contains a reasonable amount of detail and light; it's a fairly good balance between the other two photographs.

Studio photographers, however, definitely have the greatest control over light.

'Through this photographic eye you will be able to look out on a new light-world, a world for the most part uncharted and unexplored, a world that lies waiting to be discovered and revealed.' - Edward Weston (photographer)

It is important when looking at photographs to not only see the subject, but observe how the subject is lit;

                                                          (Barnstorm - David Prakel)

It is important to not point the camera at the sun as it often takes on the form of the subject as opposed the the intended subject. An example of this is in David Prakel's photograph above; the light itself has become the subject of the photograph. The lighting in this case has created a sort-of contrast between the foreground and background - in the foreground there is much more detail being portrayed, where as the background is much harder to make out because of the light from the sun. In my opinion, whilst looking at this image, the lighting makes it easier for you to place yourself in the scene - to a certain extent it is realistic because often we are somewhat 'blinded' by the sun. Whether intended or not, the subject is now the lighting - as a viewer you are drawn to the details which the lighting highlights rather than the barn in the center of the image as any detail on the barn (which is likely to keep the attention of the viewer) has been lost through lighting.

The photograph above was taken by myself. I purposely included aimed my camera towards the sun light to see how the image would turn out. In this case, just like the image above it has added more detail to the foreground of the photograph and has a less detailed background. As mentioned above this gives a realistic effect of actually 'being there' for the viewer, as your view is generally restricted when you are 'blinded' by the sun. The lighting in this case also adds more detail to the thorn plant in the foreground of the photograph. In my opinion the natural light from the sun in this case makes the photograph unique in it's detail and in some ways quite attractive, but on the other hand the image could have been much more interesting for an audience if it had more background detail.

William Hogarth - Satire on False Perspective (1753-4)

Satire on False Perspective is an engraving created by William Hogarth in 1754. It greatly centers around linear perspective (an approximate representation on a flat surface of an image as it is seen by the eye), scale and distance. This image however, creates a false reality as it includes many deliberate examples of 'confused and misplaced perspective effects' - the scene can be said to be an example of impossible objects. The intent of the work was given clearly by it's subtitle featured underneath the image: "Whoever makes a DESIGN without the Knowledge of PERSPECTIVE will be liable to such Absurdities as are shown in this frontier piece."

The man portrayed on the hill stands out against the lighter hills, and therefore was the first apparent illusion to me as he appears not only to be portrayed as a very large and giant-like character in the distance but he also appears to be lighting his pipe with the candle belonging to the woman who is leaning out of the window. This has been very cleverly done, as visually this appears to be what is happening in the image - but in reality and from our memory and knowledge of distance the hill is actually distant from the building as they are separated by a bridge and land.

The second apparent "error" to me is the fishing rod line belonging to the man in the foreground as it passes the one belonging to the man behind him. The sign coming from the building also in the foreground is being overlapped by two trees in the distance. The swan in the distance also appears remarkably larger than the men in the boat - this is a fine example of why object size within an image is very important; everything has to be in proportion to ensure realism is given to the image.

Similarly, the crow perched on the tree in the background is huge in comparison to the tree, and this line of trees are perhaps representative of how the further away an object is aimed to be portrayed, the smaller they should be - but in this case it has been reversed.

Objects should become smaller as their distance from the observer increases, and in the case of foreshortening the size of an object's dimensions along the line of sight should be relatively shorter than dimensions across the line of sight. Perspective (particularly scale, distance and linear space) is highly important factor that must be taken into great consideration whilst communicating visually.