Reading Assessment 1

Criticizing Photographs By Terry Barrett (Page 60-78)

            This chapter, entitled ‘Types of Photographs’, dives into exactly that. It discusses the way in which photographs have been categorized in the past and all the many ways that it is possible. Some categorizations have to do with the amount of manipulation, others with the subject of the photo or the purpose of the photo. The author deeply looks at the current generally accepted way of sorting photos into six categories. These are: descriptive, explanatory, interpretive, ethically evaluative, aesthetically evaluative, and theoretical. Within the given section of text, we look at what defines descriptive and explanatory photos.

Descriptive photos are ones that are used to only be descriptions of something and have no other purpose. This includes photos taken for driver’s licenses or x-rays or NASA photographs from space. The point of any of these photos is for them to hold information. They describe a certain space or subject and have no further artistic meaning. Explanatory photos are similar to descriptive but they are also meant to explain something. An example that the text gives is a set of photos taken to see if a horse has all four limbs touching the ground at the same time when it runs. These photos are used to answer questions about something.

            I learned that there are so many different ways of categorizing a photo that don’t necessarily have to do with how they look or the style of them. By learning about all of the different types of photos makes me look at taking photos in a different way. I think it will be interesting to look in depth at more of the different categories and see what they specifically entail. I also learned that despite these set categories, a photo could be defined as multiple things, which I find to be a freeing and interesting concept.

           I feel that the idea of sorting photographs didn’t really cross my mind until reading this chapter, despite the fact that it is a fairly obvious concept. I find it interesting that the point of making these categories isn’t necessarily putting photos into definitive boxes but more to “demand interpretive thought and encourage interpretive agreement and disagreement” (Barrett 65). I really enjoyed that quote as photography is an art form and I personally find it impossible to place any art form into separate boxes. I like the idea that it is meant to spark discussion.