What is Semiotics?
Semiotics is defined as the study of signs, the meanings and pleasures by sign systems or the study how how things have significance. This study later became known as 'social semiotics'. This study is based on the work of linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, the philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce and literary theorist Roland Barthes. They claim that we only think in signs and that nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign.
Semiotics can be broken into a two part model:
A Sign consists of a physical signifier (gestures, words on page, music)
An immaterial signified (the idea associated with this gesture, word etc)
Semiotics through Photography
A photograph involves a process where the image is transferred on to photographic paper but there is also an expressive, human and cultural process that involves the selection and interpretation of such elements as:
Camera Angles, framing, lighting techniques and focus.
Decoding media/photography
According to Barthe's media texts can be either:
Polysemic - open to many interpretations
Open Text - Can have many different meanings, the photography does not give us a clear understanding of what exactly is happening or the reason for it being taken.
Closed Text - the photograph/media text gives us a clear understanding what is going on or what is meant by the image.
Model for analysing forms of media:
Encoder: author or production team of a film, website etc.
Decoder: It's receiver or audience
There are so many ways we can decode media texts:
Technical: Camera angles, lens choice, framing, shutter speed, Depth of Field, Lighting, Exposure.
Symbolic: Objects, Setting, Body Language, Clothing, Colour.
Written: Headlines, Captions, Speech bubbles, style.
We can clearly see from the above photography that there is a wedding taking place, We can tell from the clothing that its set in modern times. The quality of the colour production, image sharpness and lens used suggests that it was taken with a modern camera. This is a closed text/image.
The above photograph was taken in 1992. It is security footage from a shopping mall in Manchester showing the kidnapping of Jamie Bulger who later died. We can tell that this photograph was taken using old security technology due to the fuzzyness/bad image quality and the overall lack of colour. Security systems today take highly detailed shots that look almost through to life as good as any decent camera.
The above is an example of polysemic image, we can make out 2 people on a street but we cant really see who they are and why they are there. They could be going shopping, walking home or going out to a restaurant, pub or cinema.
Anchorage
This is a process where words are used to direct or 'anchor' the meaning of an image to the reader encouraging them to a certain reading. This process is used in newspapers and magazines all the time to draw the viewers eyes to a particular article of interest. The British tabloid press use this process extensively to highlight headline news.
The front page of newspapers is a complex text made up of several segments with main headline (masthead), intro text, main article and photographs which all combine to contribute to it's overall impact and meaning.
The Design layout.
For best impact two main typefaces are used to draw the viewer in.
Serif fonts - used to comment and analysis headlines that 'subliminally' relax the reader.
Sans Serif - used for no nonsense news headlines and reporters by-lines.
During this weeks lab we looked at many different photographs from various artists.
The photograph above is from photographer Lewis Hine and it depicts child labour in a coal plant in Pennsylvania published in 1911. It is a well shot photo but you can clearly see the sadness on all the children's faces. I find it hard to belief that child labor was once perfectly accepted in society as it is clearly wrong. Unfortunately child labor was commonplace across the world for along time and still exists today in parts of Asia and Africa. Wal-Mart in USA has been accused of still selling items in their stores where child labor is used to manufacturer some of their low cost goods.
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