TERRY O'NEILL: READING OF A PHOTOGRAPH

     Another task we had to do today in class was take one of our chosen inspirational photo's and then go on to analyse and read it like we had previously learnt. The photograph I decided to choose was Terry O'Neill's snap of named "Faye Dunaway".


                                     

• The denotation of the photograph was a woman simply lounging by the pool on what looks like a crisp, sunny morning. Scattered around the floor are newspapers, there is breakfast on the table and an Oscar winners statue aswell.
• The connotations are that this lady is Faye Dunaway, winner of an Oscar the previous night for her starring role in the film "Network" and she is staying in the Beverly Hills Hotel. The newspapers on the ground are today's papers which are all filled with Oscar's headlines. Although she has received many other awards - it was this one that shocked many and changed her career completely.
• In terms of the Studium - O'Neill and Dunaway were dating at the time when the photograph was taken and they stayed together in a suite at the hotel. He claimed that he wanted to capture the shock and "dazed confusion" on Dunaway's face. The photograph is set up like a regular poolside breakfast scene, yet Dunaway's silk clothing and high heels relate to the fact that she could have possibly stayed up overnight and show her changing into a worldwide star. Also, if you look closely, the teapot is actually central to the shot whereas you would expect the Oscar to be however, it ties in with the theme of her life changing and the transition into a big star. 
• What stands out in relation to me is that Dunaway looks so completely relaxed and at ease, yet for someone who has most likely stayed up all night celebrating she still looks completely red carpet glamourous.

                          

READING A PHOTOGRAPH

      This week in class, whilst discussing the previous reading's we devised a plan to help each of us when reading photos - it's basically a checklist of items to look our for and take into consideration in order to ensure a better understanding when reading a photograph. What we came up with was:

• Aesthetics - what is included in the photo, any little details
• Composition - how the picture is set out, what is in focus, what is central to the photo
• Photographer - what is occurring in the life of the photographer, what is their previous work like, recurring themes?
• Cultural State - what is going on in the world or specific place at the time when the photo was taken
• Medium - the camera used, the film used

We also knew that when looking at a photograph we had to take into consideration 4 key things:

• Denotation - the literal meaning / description
• Connotation - the second / deeper meaning
• Studium - cultural / historical context
• Punctum - what stands out in relation to you

     We then put all of these key factors and the checklist into consideration against Diane Arbus' "A Family On Their Lawn One Sunday In Westchester NY 1969". The denotation of the photograph showed a young family enjoying their summer, relaxing and sunbathing with the children playing in the background. When we looked at a deeper meaning we saw that the man actually looks extremely unhappy and frustrated with his head in his hands which could reflect on his unhappy marriage. There is a possible alcoholic beverage on the table between them and this table also reflects the distance between the man and the woman which again emphasises this space between the couple. The huge amount of open space around them has connotations of wealth and the fact that they are facing completely away from their child shows a sort of neglect towards him. When we looked further into Diane Arbus for the Studium aspect of the photograph we discovered that in 1969 at the time when the photo was taken Diane has gotten divorced from her childhood sweetheart whom she had two children with. The setting is also relevant as she is from New York herself, and the fact that the photograph is in black and white also reflects on lots of her other work. The punctum of the image is that the child looks closer to the mother in the picture therefore I feel as though Diane felt that she was closer to her children, whilst also proving that the surrounding wealth cannot buy he any happiness.