A Viewer's Guide to Looking at Photographs

This article is useful for photographers and viewers of photography alike. It details the important aspects of the analysis of what photographs have. The description of a photo serves as the foundation for everything within it and the formal matters are more likely to be looked over by the viewer. The author breaks down each aspect individually and further explains their importance; I then picked the ones I believe to be most important. When viewing a photo, you want to explore the things within it and try to imagine what the content is and what is taking place. Viewers should look at the lines, planes, tones, and volumes to see what makes up the picture. Also what the photographer did and did not include in the frame is important. The photographer made the conscious decision as to not include a specific part but to include something else. The viewer should also pay attention to possible textures within the photograph to allow them to imagine what the items within it feel like. Something to be noticed within the photo is the mood the photographer is trying to portray. A lot of the times the photographer wants you to feel a certain way so they try to manipulate the photo to achieve this. Just like the mood can be manipulated within the frame, so can the space. A different use of angle and perspective along with specific lenses can alter the space and make it look differently than it appears. Lastly, photographs should have a route for the viewer’s eyes. The subject should be noticed almost instantly, or have something that directs the viewers eye to it or throughout their composition. This article was helpful for the project but also my other photography because it reminded me of all the things that a good photo will achieve.