Studium

Tents at Woodstock

-        Studium is a form of human interest in a photo, due to the photograph’s political or historical element. Studium, however, is just a general interest, not a deep, emotional, or a personal connection that causes pain or delight. You either like the photo or dislike the photo. It is never love.

-        For the image that I have selected, I chose a historical photo of the hippie movement in the 1960s. The photo selected, represents tents at the Woodstock. The Woodstock presented a large group of a counterculture generation and brought in thousands of hippies for the three-day music festival. In this photo, the number of tents indicate that the event was a busy and crowded one.  Due to the visible people in the photograph, as well as the car, it is noticeable that the event took place in the past. The man’s long locks, fringe vest, and overall style, symbolizes the 1960s.

-        Based on Barthes’s reading, this photo represents a scene of history. Staring at the photograph that corresponds to a legendary concert can initiate immediate appeal. The people present, the outfits, the setting, and the quality of the photo create the fascination that I have for the image. The photographer successfully captured a piece of history with his/her evidence that the Woodstock existed. The photo, however, does not personally relate to me. If the photo somehow generated a deep, emotional, and personal feeling within me, then the photo would be considered a punctum. However, it does not, and therefore it is only a studium. 

-Photo via Tumblr-

Snapshots-bellhooks~

       This is a snap shot of bell hooks and a fan, taken circa 1970s. I tried to find a picture of her father, in order to help hone the image she intricately describes in her piece, "In Our Glory". Snap shots are intended to convey a moment that won't be forgotten. Sometimes the individuals in the picture are caught off guard, looking away from the lens, not smiling--or the opposite, gleaming! Snap shots take the image of the person, right there, in that moment, and that's all you get to see as the beholder of the image. bell hooks, in this photo is gleaming with her subject, humbly signing a book that she authored, and this moment in time, is all we get. We don't get to know the background of this image; where it was taken, why it was taken (was there another reason?), what day it was taken.
      The fleetingness is romantic to bell hooks, when she describes the photograph of her father, looking young and fit. But she is saddened when he disgraces the images of himself because he has dark skin. But she qualifies her discontentment by stating,
"Cameras gave to black folks, irrespective of our class, a means by which we could participate fully in the production of images...contemporary commodification of blackness creates a market context wherein conventional, even stereotypical, modes of representing blackness may receive the greatest reward. This leads to a cultural context in which images that would subvert the status quo are harder to produce. There is no 'perceived market' for them."
I felt this image was appropriate for such a statement because of its elusiveness. 
 

Family Portrait

This is a photo of my dad, my brother, and myself at a beach near Carmel, CA.  I like this photo because even though we have posed for it, I feel that it does capture a lot of our genuine feelings and expressions.  This photo also makes me feel happy because I enjoy seeing pictures of my family having a good time together.

The Brothers

The support system of siblings is unexplainable. Represented here are my two younger brothers Cameron and Colby, and our dog, Pebbles. Although the nature of the photo was organized, the connection of happiness to show we are siblings through love and unity is seen throughout the flow of the picture. The way we smile and the way that our bodies are all touching symbolizes us as one family. 

Family:

This picture tells so much about my family, just by looking at where each person in the photo is looking toward I am reminded of the character and roles of my mother, my younger sister and I.  

2 of many

We are 2 of many who were not present that day, but this is a special picture because seeing my sister's face just makes me feel happy; punctum. We have a brother/sister language with made up words that apparently only we can decipher. We are the youngest of 5. She is the 5th.

My People

This photo speaks to me on many different levels. For one it signifies my own growth by completing high school but also this is a rare photo for my family. Seldom do we do very many things together, and coming from a single parent household it always felt like my mother was there for me more than anyone else. This photo reminds me that my aunts and grandparents are just as emotionally supportive, and despite not seeing them often, they still care for me deeply and want to see me succeed. This image will always be dog eared in my personal album.