The Uses Of The Uses Of

Photogiaphy Photogiaphy
1ohn Beigei (1978) 1ohn Beigei (1978)
Two Uses of Photogiaphy Two Uses of Photogiaphy
"photogiaphs which belong to piivate expeiience and those which aie used "photogiaphs which belong to piivate expeiience and those which aie used
publicly publicly." ."
What aie the What aie the m main diffeiences of photogiaphs taken foi these two ain diffeiences of photogiaphs taken foi these two
puiposes as desciibed by 1ohn Beigei! puiposes as desciibed by 1ohn Beigei!
Piivate Photogiaphy Piivate Photogiaphy
8 billion pictuies a yeai 8 billion pictuies a yeai and iising. and iising.
Vaiied subject mattei Vaiied subject mattei weddings, babies, family, etc. weddings, babies, family, etc.
"Not to take pictuies of one's childien, paiticulaily when "Not to take pictuies of one's childien, paiticulaily when
they aie small, is |seen as] a sign of paiental they aie small, is |seen as] a sign of paiental indiffeience." indiffeience."
Susan Sontag. Susan Sontag.
"Image junkies"! "Image junkies"! Susan Sontag. Susan Sontag.
xamples xamples
Wheie is the emotion in these photogiaphs! Wheie is the emotion in these photogiaphs!
How does it effect you as an audience! How does it effect you as an audience!
Can you undeistand what is going on in them! Can you undeistand what is going on in them!
How do you access the CONTT! How do you access the CONTT!
xamples xamples
"We take photos at some of the most poignant times of oui "We take photos at some of the most poignant times of oui
lives lives -- a biith, a wedding, Chiistmas, a biith, a wedding, Chiistmas, biithdays. They'ie biithdays. They'ie times times
when we aie veiy invested in the whole idea of family. We when we aie veiy invested in the whole idea of family. We
can look at the photos and iemembei it as a good time, even can look at the photos and iemembei it as a good time, even
though we might have had a teiiible iow though we might have had a teiiible iow." ." Di. Di. Caiol Caiol
Buiniston Buiniston, child psychologist. , child psychologist.
"A talisman against the ieal." "A talisman against the ieal."
"It can be a souice of conflict, about who's the keepei of the "It can be a souice of conflict, about who's the keepei of the
family photos. Some people punish the othei paitnei by family photos. Some people punish the othei paitnei by
iefusing to hand ovei the albums." iefusing to hand ovei the albums."
xamples xamples
"In the 195Os and 6Os, the tendency was to take pictuies only "In the 195Os and 6Os, the tendency was to take pictuies only
when the sun was out, so foi people of my geneiation, that when the sun was out, so foi people of my geneiation, that
has iendeied oui childhoods biight and sunny. In my dad's has iendeied oui childhoods biight and sunny. In my dad's
case, he was such a misei he didn't want to waste a fiame, so case, he was such a misei he didn't want to waste a fiame, so
he always waited foi the sun to come out. Now you can do it he always waited foi the sun to come out. Now you can do it
in any weathei and it doesn't cost any moie to take 1OO in any weathei and it doesn't cost any moie to take 1OO
pictuies than one pictuies than one." ." Ceoff Dyei. Ceoff Dyei.
Public Photogiaphy Public Photogiaphy
"The contempoiaiy public photogiaph usually piesents an "The contempoiaiy public photogiaph usually piesents an
event, a seized set of appeaiances, which has nothing to do event, a seized set of appeaiances, which has nothing to do
with us, its ieadeis, oi with the oiiginal meaning of the event. with us, its ieadeis, oi with the oiiginal meaning of the event.
It offeis infoimation, but infoimation seveied fiom all lived It offeis infoimation, but infoimation seveied fiom all lived
expeiience. If the public photogiaph contiibutes to a expeiience. If the public photogiaph contiibutes to a
memoiy, it is to the memoiy of an unobseivable and total memoiy, it is to the memoiy of an unobseivable and total
stiangei. The violence is expiessed in that stiangeness. It stiangei. The violence is expiessed in that stiangeness. It
iecoids an instant sight about which this stiangei has iecoids an instant sight about which this stiangei has
shouted: Look shouted: Look!" !" 1ohn Beigei. 1ohn Beigei.
Public Photogiaphy Public Photogiaphy
"The aim must be to constiuct a context foi a photogiaph, to "The aim must be to constiuct a context foi a photogiaph, to
constiuct it with woids, to constiuct it with othei constiuct it with woids, to constiuct it with othei
photogiaphs, to constiuct it by its place in an ongoing text of photogiaphs, to constiuct it by its place in an ongoing text of
photogiaphs and images photogiaphs and images." ." 1ohn Beigei. 1ohn Beigei.
xamples xamples
xamples xamples
Wheie is the emotion in these photogiaphs! Wheie is the emotion in these photogiaphs!
How does it effect you as an audience! How does it effect you as an audience!
Can you undeistand what is going on in them! Can you undeistand what is going on in them!
How do you access the CONTT! How do you access the CONTT!
In Conclusion... In Conclusion...
When constiucting images is it impoitant to considei what When constiucting images is it impoitant to considei what
context the audience is accessing and how this may context the audience is accessing and how this may
contiibute to meanings and/oi ieactions! contiibute to meanings and/oi ieactions!
Can you second guess the context that an audience may Can you second guess the context that an audience may
biing to a set of images! biing to a set of images!
Considei how you might piovide context in youi Considei how you might piovide context in youi
photogiaphs eithei thiough woids photogiaphs eithei thiough woids -- titles, desciiptions titles, desciiptions oi oi
othei photogiaphs that they appeai with. othei photogiaphs that they appeai with.