Connotation vs. Denotation

In the image of the Three Boys by Lewis Hine we see first hand the complex nature inherent in the photograph.

On one hand we see the object of the photograph, the two dimensional surface, the various degrees of lights and darks that make up the forms, and the material of the print itself. On the other hand we see the various messages or feelings being conveyed through the smug expression on the boys’ faces, their obvious attitudes and the idea that these three boys appear to have lived a life of independence and hard work, free from the confines of education and parental control, and that these boys are decision-makers and responsible US citizens contributing to their community as newsies.

This illustrates the level at which a photograph does in fact function. In other words, the capture of light, translated onto a picture plane as line, shape and form presented in a two-dimensional object, is the photograph, or the denotation of reality. What the viewer feels, understands, or reads into the picture is the connotative meaning.

The same holds true for the image of the Woman Walking. When looking at this image, I get the sense that this woman is of a wealthy, upper class society. Her clothing, the very fact that she has the time to take great care in her appearance and walk with her two pure-bread dogs all point to the notion of aristocracy.

~ John Trefethen

This entry was posted on Friday, August 14th, 2009 at 8:24 am. It is filed under Tutorials and tagged with Connotation vs. Denotation, Jacques Lartigue, John Trefethen, Lewis Hine, Photographic Education, photographic meaning, Photography, Text & Image, Three Boys By Lewis Hine, Trefethen Studios. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.