Place of Mind

Photographs are adventures. Every time we look at them, we see a different story. A new experience, a new set of thoughts, and a new introduction to the world. As said in Camera Lucida, a book by French philosopher Roland Barthes, photographs should touch the sentiments of the viewer, produce powerful effects on the mind, and bring out our emotions. The best photographs call to our imagination, and ‘prick’ us, by animating our mind with punctum, something that jumps out and grabs our mindset. This is combined with studium, a primary highlight that creates interest in a photograph. Combined, this creates a story, greater than the sum of its parts of lighting, clothing, et al. There is more meaning to a photograph, but that depends on the spectator and what they take away from it. This perception will vary from person to person, making every photo unique every it's looked at.

In the first photo, we can see an example where “the principle of adventure allows me to make Photography exist .” Here, a child puts herself and all her trust into her father, completely secure in the belief that he will catch her while she is suspended in mid-air. They have a total and complete bond. The other part of the adventure aspect in this photo is that it is taken directly in front of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The child is happy in their personal adventure to this tourist attraction, and this image is was an emotional reminder to me how happy such a simple excursion can be for a child, or anyone for that matter. I was enthralled by the building in the background, attempting to take a picture of that, but the giggling sound of the child playing with her father attracted my attention. The playful attitude of the small child, in the shadow of such an enormous building, reminds us that we can find joy and happiness in the smallest of things.

In the second photo, we can see what appears to be a pumpkin patch. But when we look closer, we notice a tiny figure, camouflaged by the wearing of orange clothing—a color that helps her perfectly blend into the pumpkins behind her. This was especially funny to me, as I know her father likes to go hunting, something for which he will often need to wear camouflaged clothing. In this sense, it seemed to me that the daughter was already taking after her father. Barthes wrote, “Photography, in order to surprise, photographs the notable, but soon, by a familiar reversal, it decrees notable whatever it photographs.” To me, this was another example of family bonding, a demonstration of trust and the inseparable closeness between a father and daughter

The third photo is of the Boston Irish Famine Memorial statue. This memorial commemorates the time when hundreds of thousands of Irish persons fled a starving Ireland for better prospects in America, during a time of great famine in their home country. This is a great example of Barthes idea of subversive photography, as it does not frighten, repel, or stigmatize, but instead it is “pensive,” as it makes one stop and think. To reflect on what life might have been for those immigrants coming to America with little to their name and only the hope of a better future for themselves and their families, far from the troubles and empty bellies of the homes they were leaving behind forever. It made me reflect on how many people would have come to the city at the time, and while they might not have been openly welcomed by all, they quickly become an integral part of the city, a history seen to this day. Much of the city is understandably devoted to early American/British history, but this statue stands as a strong icon for a group of people who equally made their mark.

The fourth photo is of a family going out to a gravesite. The family is grieving, but if one looks closely, you can see the son holding the hand of his mother as they walk out to his father’s grave. Even in this time of sorrow, they are still supporting each other. The photo is mainly focused on the people. The grave is not clearly seen and is only noticeable when one sees a wreath on the bottom right. This is an example of how Barthes talked about photography as being a ‘wound’ to the spectator. In this photo, one can indeed see and feel, which helps you notice, observe, and think. It makes one think about death and how it affects all of us closely. Here, the son now needs to step up into the role his father played, that of the primary companion and support to his mother. This does make one think about death, how it comes for us all. And how life is unpredictable, but whatever happens, hopefully all of us have family and friends we can rely on and who can support us in our time of need and grief.

The fifth and final photo is a more cheerful one. It is of a toddler role playing in the kitchen, pretending to wash vegetables and utensils. The studium (knowledge the spectator has) is seen where she is laughing and quite cheerful as she is with her mother. She is at ease. We can see the elements of a happy home, a table, a highchair, a catchy phrase in the background. However, the punctum (what is disturbing in the photo) here for me is the sliver of a knife handle in the background, immediately to the child’s left. It seems to have been accidentally left there, but is still within dangerous reach, where potentially one small wave of the hand will knock it down to her feet. One can take comfort in the knowledge however, that her mother is close by and will undoubtedly do anything she can to protect her daughter. Here, I can completely agree with Roland Barthes where he talks about how a disturbance in the photo can help us think more about the image, creating broader thoughts regarding it and the circumstances behind it.

Each piece here was an example of family bonding and familial ties. Shared values and complete trust. In Camera Lucida, we were told that a photograph should touch the sentiments of a viewer, to help them broaden their thoughts and mindsets. They should also animate our mind, by expressing adventure, as well as have a hidden meaning or message. This process of "defamiliarization" helps us look beyond our typically limited thinking. Each photograph is a slice of life, requiring us to look closely and see the hidden story, in turn seeing the world from a different perspective. For example, in the funeral photo, on its face it just looks like a group walking in a park. But closer inspection, and having the luxury of more insight in the context of the photo, reveals a more solemn scene, and causes us to take pause and remember our own mortality and the transience of every person around us. While this is a disturbance in the photo, it is something that makes us like the photo more, as it generates reflective thoughts and ideas within us. The other photos also reflect family and death—children who will one day replace their parents in the photos, which one day will be some of the only evidence that their parents walked this earth. Camera Lucida talked about how a ‘good’ photograph isn’t just one that just looks good physically, but is one that makes us think, that “touches the sentiments of the viewer,” and has regional essences that produces effects on our mind and bring out our emotions. Since everyone is different, they all will react differently to every photo compared to someone else. A punctum for one person may be a studium for another. As said by Roland Barthes, a photographer’s weapon is in their finger, and not their eye. Sometimes the photos we see have more to say than what meets the eye.

Citations

Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida. Translated by Richard Howard, Hill & Wang, 1980, pp. 16-59. Composition Flipped, Michael McGuire, writing101.net/flip/wp-content/resources/documents/camera_lucida_excerpt.pdf.