A Different Perspective

How do you perceive the world surrounding you? Do you look into detail, or just see exactly what is in front of you without thinking more in depth? I believe most of us fail to see the scenery around us in different perspectives. We simply just see the image, not a deeper meaning or view behind it. In our lives, we all have countless places that bring joy and happiness to us. Some may bring grief or sadness. These places could be places where you spent quality time with family or friends, where you grew up, or a place that just brings happy memories to your mind. Of course, they are just pictures to anyone else, but for you, they could mean much more. You are able to see a deeper meaning of the picture and what this place means to you. This is an example of Barthe’s usage of “punctum” and “studium.” Barthe’s “Camera Lucida” was published in 1980. The story is a very in depth writing of what separates the meaning of a photo, or how people perceive the image. Barthes uses “punctum” as what he believes photography truly is. “Studium” is to show interest in a photo without truly uncovering what is inside, or discovering the deeper, in depth meaning. “Studium” is also simply the obvious of a photo, or what you can point out as soon as you see it. On the other hand, “punctum” is an image or and object that grabs the viewers attention. “The studium is always coded, the punctum is not” (Barthes). Barthes uses “coded” as a way of saying that studium is always easy to notice because it is simply there, unlike punctum which is difficult to see. “The unary Photograph has every reason to banal, ‘unity’ of composition being the first rule of vulgar...rhetoric” (Barthes). Barthes states here that people have to connect on a certain level with the photo to understand the true meaning , or the “punctum.”

Chetek, Wisconsin is a place of pure happiness for me. It is a place that has been around in my family since my grandpa was ten years old. My grandpa raised my dad a fisherman as he was himself. My dad spent two months a year fishing up there ever since he was five years old. Chetek was introduced to me at a young age. I remember my first time up there, I could not wait to get on the lake. Fishing, tubing, or skiing, it did not matter as long as I was on a boat. To me, this is my happy place. Chetek to me is more than just a fishing trip. It is a place of relaxation and it gives me a chance to reset my mind. Sitting on a lake just me and my dad doing what we love to do. It is a great way for my family to become closer as I feel the busyness of everyone separates us from one another. When I share pictures, people do not seem to see the “punctum” of my photos, they only see a fishing trip, or a family vacation. My pictures were taken this summer because clearly I did not take a trip up there for this writing. Even though my pictures are not current, they still reflect how I perceive Chetek. When I am up there, I take all of these pictures because I see the punctum of each individual photo. If I am having a bad day, I will look back on these pictures and reminisce about the good times. My first picture, “Glass” is an all around great representation of why I love Chetek. The calm waters, sunrise or sunset, it is truly beautiful. It is just me, my fishing pole, and the lake. With no one else around, it is very relaxing and stress free. Vacationing in Chetek for me is an escape from the real world. My second picture “The Captain” is a picture of my grandpa. He is the one who showed me how to fish when I was around four years old. Him and my dad would take me up to a little pond to catch small fish, but to me, it was the best time of my life. One moment I always wanted to share with my grandpa was going to Chetek with him because I had never been. Yes, my dad had been taking me up there for years, but I wanted to experience it with my grandpa. This was also my grandpa’s happy place. He had not been to Chetek in twenty years, so we begged him to come with and I was able to spend quality time with him. As many times as I have been to Chetek, the time with my grandpa will always remain the best. I had never seen my grandpa truly happy until this moment, and that is why I chose to use this picture. This was the first time I had seen him truly filled with happiness. My third picture, “The walk to the lake,” shows the vibrant green colors of the foliage surrounding the pathway. I have only been up to Chetek once during the fall time, and let me be the first to say that it is a beautiful sight to wake up to every morning. Waking up to the sunset peaking between the red, orange, and yellow leaves on the trees is an amazing sight to see.

I decided to add a second place to my list. This place is the gym for me. Changing my way of life and beginning a journey or working out has brought happiness to me. The gym is more to me than just working out. It is a place I can go to turn off the world, focus on myself, and train hard. No matter how I feel, going to the gym will always result in a better outcome of my day. Whether I am having a bad day, or the best day ever, going to the gym will always make it better. My fourth picture, “Iron Jungle,” is a picture of the gym where it all started. This was my first gym I joined three years ago and began training. The picture brings back many memories from when I first stepped foot in there, to the moment I left. I fell in love with working out at this gym and it will forever be a place of remembrance. My fifth and final picture, “Father and Son” is a picture of me and the person in my life who inspires me the most. We both began working out together three years ago and that is when everything took a turn for the better. My Dad has suffered from Crohn's disease for thirty years. I have seen my dad take many trips to the hospital because of it. About two years ago, I started telling my dad to eat better, and cut out unnecessary foods. When my dad went to his doctor for his yearly Crohn’s exam, they realized his disease was gone. The doctors told him it was because I told him to start working out and eating better. I remember this moment like it was yesterday. I got home and my dad hugged me with tears in his eyes. This picture shows how far the both of us have come together. Because of my dad, I know that anything is possible and to never give up. My pictures were not much, but every single one has a special meaning to them. The thing is, many people will not see this deeper meaning unless I elaborate like I have in this writing.

Works Cited -

Barthes, Roland. Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. New York: Hill and Wang, 1981. Print.