Reading Assignment 1

1. Barron believed that above all description is the most important step in analyzing a photograph, or a text describing a photo, or anything about a photo. He describes the analysis of a photo and terminology through a strong belief that description is essential to understanding and making a judgment. And that the judgment of a critique will be that much stronger if the piece they’re critiquing has been described accurately.
2. The exhibition that he uses is Avedon's "In the American West", where its goal is to depict the image of the old American West and the contrast in the diverse lifestyles. Discussing the style and the subject of the images are important/interesting to the exhibition.
3. a. Description: asking myself what I am looking at in this specific image, and getting to know the image, then it will lead to understanding and perhaps appreciate it more.
1. b. Subject and Subject Matter - subject is the meaning or interpretation or belief behind what an individual or critique sees in a photo. Vs. a Subject is a physical thing, person, place, or thing that is actually seen in the photo. 
2. c. Form: This is the way that is the art is displayed. The audience has a view of the art based on how the artist arranged it, as well as its location and placement; an art piece in Whitney may not have a place in MOMA.
3. d. The medium is what the art is made of; can be complex or simple.
4. e. Style: what the photographer chooses to shot, and how he does it, how he uses medium and form. What makes him different from other artists.
4. a. Comparing and contrasting according to Barret is looking at an artist work and finding similarities and differences between that piece of work and another work of that artist or a different artist.
1. b. Internal and External Sources of Information: Having an internal source of information pertains to the information derived from the subject. Getting external sources of information allows the artist to include the history and factual information pertaining to the artwork.
5. a. Description and interpretation both work together, as the author explains, they have a circular relationship. It's impossible to describe without interpreting.
1. b. Barrett uses Joel Peter Witkin as a perfect example of someone that has had many positive and negative critic about his work, but the author tells us that each of their critics influences their description of his work.
6.  In conclusion, this chapter includes many points about how to talk or write about a picture. Two other points the author made are that reading someone else's evaluation can help form your own opinion based on agreement or disagreement and that describing words can have both positive and negative connotations. From this reading, I learned the relevance of knowing a photographer's life/ background, which I previously thought was unimportant. Now I can see that it can add somewhat of a story to the picture. Another thing I learned was that the medium can greatly affect a photo. I never realized that the context in which you are viewing it can change your interpretation. The authors' conclusion is that relevancy is a determining factor in describing photographs. There is so much that can be said about a picture, but the only things that are important are the ones that create a thoughtful understanding. My reaction to this reading is that I will now be able to look at photographs in a much more in-depth and informative way than I previously have. This will help me gain a greater appreciation for photography, as well as advance my skills when taking my own pictures.