Activity six

Terry Barrett – Classification system

Descriptive Photography.

Refers to an image that describes something. In some way all images describe something and usually intend to do more than that. Either tell a story, evoke emotion etc. Descriptive photograph is only used to describe something with no other intentions. Some examples include xrays, photographs of the moons surface, photo ID cards etc.

Explanatory Photography. 

Refers to Photographs that help us to understand something that is hard to see without using a camera. Eadweard Muybridge’s image ‘ Galloping Horse 1878′ helped to discover that all 4 horses hooves left the ground at the same time. This was something that was discovered through capturing the image, and the use of technology.

Interpretive Photography.

Refers to images that do not try to being scientifically accurate and instead are a subjective. They often tell us how things are but let the viewer interpret the meaning in their own way. These shots are also often set up and then taken. Joe Mcnally’s photograph shows a scene that has been shot up to photography. It suggests what may be happening but lets the viewer decide how they want to see it.

Ethically Evaluative Photography.

Refers to an image that makes an ethical judgments. They either praise or condemn aspects of society, and are shown in a way that the photography wants to viewer to see the subject. Dorothea Lange’s image ‘Migrant Mother, 1936′ makes ethical judgement on the migratory farm labor around the state of California.

Aesthetically Evaluative Photography.

Refers to beautiful things photographed in beautiful ways. Many landscapes and still life images are knows as aesthetically evaluative images as they focus on a beauty in the object and are simple and pleasing to the eye. Edward Weston’s still life series on peppers are very aesthetically evaluative. Through lighting he creates fantastic elegant still life’s.