Informing Contexts – The Peculiar Nature of Photography
The understanding of any photograph is linked to the culture of the viewer and their ability to understand and interpret the image. The ability to interpret the image is based on the cognition, previous experiences and cultural background of the viewer. The meaning of any photograph is subjective, and based on an individual’s interpretation.
The ‘peculiar’ nature of photography allows me to make the choice to produce work that is a representation of the scene I see in front of me, or I am able to stage the scene and create a different representation. However, even with a documentary type image, I am still free to choose the framing, viewpoint and lighting of the image. My photograph will not be identical to the photographer next to me. I am also able to choose to break the ‘rules’ of photography to produce work that is truly artistic. For me this is the beauty of photography.