1. This presentation outlines and illustrates the language and process of
visual analysis as discussed in the Composition textbook Frames of Mind.
2. FICTIONAL TEXTS
plot
characters
setting
point of view
style, tone, language
symbolism
theme
VISUAL TEXTS
focal point
figure-ground contrast
proximity, similarity
color
continuation
line
closure
story
context
Just as there are terms that allow us to
refer to precise elements of a literary text,
there are terms that allow us to discuss
individual elements of a visual text such as
a photograph or painting.
3. the central figure
the point where your eyes immediately go
when you first view the image
the point on which your eyes focus
the object of emphasis
Consider the image on the next slide of this presentation.
What is the focal point?
5. the difference between what’s in front and
what’s in back
the foreground and the background
the figure and the background
Think about the previous image of the orange juice ad. The focal point
was in sharp contrast to the mostly blank, white background. Consider a
more complex image, the photograph that follows. First, identify the focal
point. Next, consider the background. How does the background contrast
with the focal point?
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The group of three people in the front of the image is the focal point. Some
differences between the focal point and the background are that the individuals
in the foreground are posing while those in the background are not. The focal
point figures are in focus while the background figures are not. What is happening in the
background is spontaneous and natural; what is happening in the foreground is staged to
convey an attitude and a message.
10. Proximity
how objects are
related in space
different groups
created by spatial
arrangement
Similarity
How objects are related
in size, color, shape,
etc.
Different groups
created by similar
features
11. What is the focal point? Consider figure-ground contrast.
How is proximity used in this photo to convey distance?
Photograph by Bruce Davidson
12. evokes emotional response
the brighter, the more powerful
can focus our attention
can create contrast
can communicate nuances of meaning
13. Consider all of the elements covered thus far: focal point, figure-ground
contrast, similarity, proximity, and color:
Photograph by Constantine Manos, New Orleans 2002
14. Notice how this ad uses similar colors
rather than contrasting ones to create unity.
2007 Print ad for Sean Jean
Unforgivable Woman fragrance.
15. The continued visual line suggested by the
elements in the image
Follow the line of continuation in the following images, starting with
the focal point.
18. Provide a sense of motion or movement
Create edges and outline objects
Convey mood
Horizontal = calm, equilibrium
Vertical = movement
Diagonal = stress
Wavy = change, grace
Notice the lines in the following photographs:
24. the narrative suggested by the image
Consider the following images. What story is
communicated by each? Also go back to previous
images and consider the story the ad or the
photographer is trying to convey through the
image. What is the message of those three
journalists? What is the meaning of the
Unforgivable Woman ad? What statement is the
photographer making with the image of the bride
and groom pictured with industrial smoke-stacks
in the background?
25. Photograph by Bruce Davidson
What story does this photograph communicate? What is the significance of the Davidson’s decision to
photograph the boys out of focus? How does this add to or relate to the story?
26. Photograph by Bruce Davidson
Consider the role that light and shadow play in communicating this story.
27. background information that enhances
understanding
includes the title of the image, if there is
one, the creator of the image, the date, the
location, as well as details about or from the
artist or photographer that contribute to our
understanding of the image
29. This painting from the 1600’s is called Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. Icarus is a figure from mythology who ignored his
father’s advice and flew with his wax wings too close to the sun, causing them to melt, which resulted in his falling from the
sky into the sea, drowning. If you follow the focal point of the farmer’s red shirt around the painting, your eyes will
eventually come to the flailing legs at the bottom right of the painting, unnoticed by the other figures featured in the
painting. Knowing the context is often the key to grasping the meaning. (Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, painted around
1558, attributed to Pieter Bruegle the Elder)
30. In 1958, Bruce Davidson shot a series of photographs of the performances and
backstage life of this three-ring circus performer. The collection of photographs is titled
Circus.
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Analyze the Image:
Identify the focal point.
Explain the figure-ground contrast.
Note the significance of proximity and similarity.
Describe the use of color and its effect.
Narrate the line of continuation from the focal point
through the rest of the image.
Describe lines in the image and explain their effects.
Does the image feature closure?
What is the context of the image? Who created the
image? When? Where? Does it have a title? How does
the context add to or reveal the meaning?
What is the central message communicated by the
image? What story does the image tell?
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Responding to a Visual Analysis
Writing Assignment:
Begin by studying the image.
Answer each of the questions from the following slide in
as much detail as possible.
Focus the analysis on the elements that are the most
prominent in the image, that contribute most to the story it
communicates.
Follow the steps of the writing process and attend to the
specific requirements of the assignment you have been
given.
Clearly attribute the image to its author. Cite the image
following the text of your paper.
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Examples
Example of attribution in the text of a visual analysis
essay:
Example of MLA citation:
In one photograph titled Dwarf, taken in 1958, Bruce Davidson
captures a circus clown, apparently alone and despondent, as he
sits at a diner next to a crowded table of laughing customers, at a
table decorated with wilting roses, with a simple sandwich on a
plate in front of him.
Works Cited
Davidson, Bruce. Dwarf. The Circus. 1958.
