Roland Barthes-Camera Lucinda Reflections on Photography.
Roland Barthes-Camera Lucinda Reflections on Photography.
In reading Reflections of Photography, it is clear that the author is approaching the subject from a sociological perspective by breaking the whole process down of creating an image. Those engaged in the process are
1 The operator takes the image
2 The spectator is the viewer
3 The target is the person being photographed.
He explains he is not an armature or professional photographer in any way. He explains however the "chemical order of light on certain substances" and the effect of "images through an optical device"(Reflections of Photography). Every aspect of the process including the process of taking an image is referred to in scientific language.
He sees that when a target is photographed by the operator, the target knows they are about to be photographed and react in anticipation. His view is this creates an unrealistic view compared to that of art. Where the artist is able to give the target "a noble expression" but the camera may be less flattening. He states that he is no longer a human when photographed but an object. The aesthetic control of the photographer is also down to their competence with a camera. The camera, according to Roland Barthes is "were clocks for seeing" and recording light/events.
In an age of mass media and newspapers, RBC states that the overuse of images in newspapers leaves the viewer numb and indifferent to the images. His approach to photography is very philosophical. Mentioning French existential philosophers such as John Paul Sartre.
Comments
Post a Comment