We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make interesting photo, but, looking at other people's photographs, most often we don’t really think about what meaning the author has laid in them.

As a general rule, unless we are evaluating photographs as visual art, we are evaluating images in terms of how technically the photographer has captured what they see. And frankly, some photographs are really nothing more than images of tangible objects, they remind us of what we have seen or experienced. Restaurant food photos, selfies, and shots taken at events often fall into this category.

However, there are photographs that offer a different level of perception, they are revealed if we take the time to observe and decipher their visual language. The photographer deliberately creates and composes elements in the frame to express his idea, to push the viewer's eye in the right direction, to evoke feelings. These photos are about something. They require the participation of the viewer. Require interpretation of the information presented in them.

We must be able to read a photograph to avoid misinformation. Unlike other forms of art, photography depicts something real. But even the most “real” photograph is only a version of reality, interpreted by the photographer for the intended audience. Reading a photograph, we decode the author's interpretation.

How to read a photo

There are no hard and fast rules on how to read a photograph. In fact, your approach to deciphering the information embedded in the frame depends on your goals. For example, if you look at a photograph from a historical perspective, you spend most of your time scrutinizing the historical context, the clothing, setting, or cultural bias of the photographer, the prevailing social attitudes at the time the photograph was taken. On the contrary, if photography interests you from the point of view of its technology, then you will direct all your efforts to studying the techniques that the photographer used to depict the subject.

The historical, social, stylistic content of a picture can be perceived differently by different viewers. Moreover, often the same viewer changes his mind about a photograph over time.

So, how do we "read" a photograph? The guidelines are based on our understanding of how we see two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional space, and how we interpret visual elements, signs, and symbols according to our cultural background. Terry Barrett, an American art historian who specializes in reading photography, offers us the following formula:

Theme + Form + Technology + Context = Content

Subject: What is in the photo?

Start reading the photo by looking at what is in it. What people, places and objects are included in the photo? (Don't forget to look at the edges of the photo as well.) List the items and group them (mentally or on paper) into logical categories. See if there is any action. If so, how do the objects in the picture interact with each other - is there a connection between the actors? Are they touching or looking at each other? Is it possible to trace this or that ordering of objects? Plot logic?

The photo below has a boy, a ball, a half-open entrance, a camera, and some signs. There are also windows, a canal, railings, steps, lots of sun and some shade. The boy plays with the ball, there is a relationship between the boy and the ball. There is also a link between the "Carabinieri" (police) sign, the entrance and the security camera. The channel, the windows, the steps and the street represent the environment. There is no relationship yet between the boy, his ball, and the police, but the expectation that a relationship is about to emerge lends a palpable tension to the photograph.

Dawn Oosterhoff

When looking at a photograph, be sure to think about what is not in it. Can you assume that the missing items exist, but were left out of scope either intentionally or out of necessity? For example, in the photo above, the shadow on the ground suggests a large tree is off-screen, but in this photo it would be impossible to include that tree. Also missing is a playmate. Is the boy playing with the ball himself, or is the photographer deliberately excluding a playmate?

Form: How is the photo composed?

The nature of photography forces us to work with the frame, deciding what to include and what to exclude from the frame. Within this framework, we use various methods to guide the viewer's eye from one object to another and highlight some objects in relation to others. These compositional techniques tell us what is the main thing in the photo and what the photographer is trying to tell us.

Notice what the photographer chose to emphasize in the frame and by what method. How does the photographer direct our gaze? Analyze the position of the subject within the frame, the use of leading lines, depth of field and focus. What is the center of attention?

Sometimes a photographer may deliberately organize subjects before taking a photo. For example, in the case of a still life or a portrait. In other cases, the photographer is faced with a situation in which he is unable to influence the arrangement of objects, and then he must choose an angle, an angle of view that will help organize the space inside the frame. To see how a photograph is structured and organized, try flipping it upside down or visualizing it as a pattern of spots and lines rather than a 3D image. What forms do you see? Are there lines or geometric shapes in the photo, are they repeated?

In the next image, the photographer uses lines and shapes to guide the viewer past the boy in the foreground to the second person who is the subject of this photo. The line of chairs in the foreground, the edge of the light coming in from the distant windows, the planks of the floor all point to the grandmother, who is seated in the center right. This is a compositionally strong point in the frame. The photographer also uses the archway to create a frame around the boy's grandmother and parents, seated at the back of the frame. If the viewer looks past the grandmother towards the parents and the windows in the background, the line created by the furniture along the right wall brings the viewer's gaze back to the grandmother. The photographer's composition tells you that the grandmother is the head of a three-generation family.

Canadian National Railways, Library and Archives Canada, e010860630.

Lights and shadows are also objects in the photo, so be sure to consider them when reading the shot. Pay attention to where the light and shadows are located. What are their forms? How are lights and shadows positioned in relation to the photo frame? What was placed in the light and what was placed in the shadow. What can light and shadow tell about photography and its history? For example, in the photo above, the light comes in from the windows in the background, "washing out" the parents in the highlights, but illuminating the grandmother beautifully. The boy occupying the largest physical space in the photograph is in the shadows. There is light from the window behind him, but it is a faint light that does not illuminate the boy's face or the book he is reading. What does light and shadow tell you about the boy and his place in the family?

Technology: what materials and processes were used?

Pay attention to the materials and processes used to create the piece of art. For photography, these are the equipment (camera and lens), the recording medium (digital or film, if film, then size and type), the process of developing or retouching, and the presentation of the final result (printed or web page, if printed, then size and type). paper, frame).

Historical photographs will be in black and white due to technology limitations, but modern photographs may be in color or black and white. Think about choosing a photographer and what that means for the story the photographer wants to tell. If the photograph is taken on film, even the choice of film type can significantly affect the image of the subject. Is the film high contrast and grainy, or is it low speed with wide dynamic range? If the photo is in color, have the colors been enhanced or altered, or if the photo is in black and white, has it been toned? Was the picture taken with a smartphone or large format camera? Did the photographer use a specific lens, such as a fisheye, to emphasize something in the frame?

When considering how the shot was taken, also consider the photographer's choice in the context of photography standards and practices at the time the shot was taken. Modern photography, presented in black and white, speaks of a conscious choice of the photographer, but the same photograph taken seventy or eighty years ago is bound to be in black and white due to the technology of that time. Similar contemporary photographer, using collodion plates, for example, adds layers of meaning to a photograph.

It's impossible to tell in the next photo if the shot was originally taken in color or black and white, but you can tell that black and white photography was tinted to create or enhance the atmosphere of the chilly cold of the landscape. The photo was taken with wide angle lens, allowing the photographer to create an impressive panoramic view. How does the choice of technique affect photography? How do you feel about this scenery?

Dawn Oosterhoff

When considering technology, also consider where and how the photograph is shown. The same image can evoke different interpretations depending on whether it's hanging in a gallery, printed in a magazine, or displayed on a website page. How would you read the above photo if you saw it as a banner in a travel magazine or environmental awareness material? Will your perception be different if the photo is printed on canvas 2 meters high, framed and hung in an art gallery?

Context: the circumstances in which the photo was taken?

Context involves consideration of the interrelated conditions in which the photograph was taken and in which it is displayed. It includes the cultural environment in which the photograph was taken; for example, the times, social beliefs, and cultural practices that led to the image and influenced the photographer. Still life with an abundance of seafood, tropical fruits and crystal can be evaluated in terms of texture, play of light and shadow, chromatic combinations, but if the photo was taken in the late 1800s, when seafood, tropical fruits and crystal were extraordinarily expensive and difficult to obtain, photography will be an expression of wealth. What if the same photo was taken during the food crisis: how does that change your interpretation?

The next frame can be read differently depending on where the shot was taken. The photo will tell one story if it was taken in a hospital waiting room, and another if the photo was taken at a transit stop. What if the photo was taken in a park or on a busy train? How does the story change if the person in the colorful robe turns out to be a relative, friend or stranger?

Dawn Oosterhoff

Defining context can be tricky when it comes to reading photos of conflict. Footage taken by a journalist included in a conflict group will have a different perspective than photographs taken by an outside observer or local journalist. Likewise, photographs taken in secret are likely to tell a different story than those taken by a press official. Just as important is who posts what photos and who photographs whom. The photographs published during the Arab Spring uprisings were taken by both foreign and local photographers. How will your cultural background influence how you read photos?

A radiograph is a negative image obtained with the help of x-rays on a special paper or photographic film of the object that is being examined.

X-ray machines are used to take x-rays. In hospital radiology rooms, there are both stationary and mobile and portable devices that are used in resuscitation and intensive care wards. The quality of a radiograph is evaluated by two components: the first is the sharpness of the image, and the second is the contrast of the image. The x-ray must be carried out in such a way that there are no extraneous shadows or artifacts on the x-ray.

It is also important that the image sufficiently fully represents the area under study, and for such a result it is necessary to choose the correct projection for the image. The sharpness, or clarity, of an x-ray image is the presence of a clearly defined transition from one level of blackening to another. If a person moves during an X-ray, then this is the reason for the dynamic blurring of the image.

During medical procedures, the question often arises of the difficulty of reproducing information on these images. To the question of how to describe the pictures, doctors answer quickly and easily. Doctors mainly pay attention to geometric blur, depending on the sharpness of the focus of the X-ray tube, the distance between the X-ray tube and the film, the distance between the object - the film, the graininess of the photosensitive layer of the film of intensifying screens. As for the optimal image contrast, it is the presence of clearly defined lines between the light and dark areas of the x-ray.

But if all the same, the patient wants to understand the x-ray himself, how to read the pictures, then he needs to choose the right lighting by eye: at home, it can be a bright aiming light in an artificially darkened room. Then you need to carefully review all the details. If there is a crack or some kind of fracture, then this will be reflected on the x-ray (in the first case, it will look like a small thin snake).

And if you need to find out if there is some kind of disease that occurs in the body, for example, pneumonia, you need to look for a blackout. We must also take into account and do not forget that the internal organs of a person in the picture are somewhat larger than they actually are. So there is no need to panic. In clinics, pictures for description and viewing are placed on special screens called negatoscopes. Thanks to their bright glow, it turns out to effectively consider all the details of the image.

You can learn a lot about a person from a photograph. Experienced psychics and clairvoyants can tell at a glance whether a person is alive or dead, sick or healthy, and also map out his future or past. Learning how to get information from a photograph is not so difficult.

To learn how to read from a photograph, take a photograph. Look at her carefully, try to focus your eyes on her. You have to see through the photo. It will be ideal if you can look at a couple of centimeters per picture.

After you concentrate, think about what this person can do now. Do not take your eyes off the photo. If you manage to concentrate properly, you will be able to notice how the image changes in the picture. To correctly see these metamorphoses, you need to turn off the imagination - it will give the image unnecessary details. If the image resulting from the changes does not suit you, repeat your request to yourself again.

So you can see how a person has changed in appearance - let go of a beard, cut his hair, etc.

If you want to learn not only about the changes that have occurred with a person, but also about his condition at the moment, repeat the first exercise, but with small additions. Instead of saying, "This person is now," think about how they feel, where they are, what is happening to them. You also need to look behind the photo, but at the same time through it. Then it all depends on what you are used to relying on. If these are visual images, then you will be able to see how the facial expression of the person you are receiving information about changes. In the case where you are accustomed to trusting the sensations more, with the right concentration, you will be able to feel the feelings of the object within you.

When you want to know the past of a person, you need to repeat all the exercises you already know, while formulating a question within yourself about what happened to him in a particular period of time.

You can also find out the future of a person from a photograph. Look at the picture. Focus on the subject again and look at the photo through it. Consider the fact that where you should focus your eyes, there is a line of time and life of the person depicted in the picture. According to her on the left you can see the past, on the right the future. Move the line as you like. In addition, you need to determine the currents that you will consider - these are the so-called moments of life. To read the future from a photograph, you must first focus on the present, and then, like a conveyor belt, rewind the line in the direction you need. Then proceed according to the usual scheme. If you want to analyze your own photo in this way, you need to move away from the fact that it is you. Imagine that the picture shows a completely unfamiliar person. This will make it easier to concentrate. The main difficulty is to turn off emotions, because they can give your feelings unnecessary details and details.

Be sure to check the information received from the photo. To do this, simply ask there was this or that event in the life of a person from a picture of himself. This will help you understand if you are on the right path.

Publication date: 24.03.2017

Beginning photographers are often interested in how to view the parameters of a particular shot and find out what camera and lens were used when shooting it. This and other data is stored in EXIF ​​(Exchangeable Image File Format). It is part of a JPEG or RAW file. It is in it that additional data (metadata) is "sewn up". EXIF allows you to save a lot of useful things: from shooting parameters to information about which program and how the frame was edited.

NIKON D810 / 50.0 mm f/1.4 SETTINGS: ISO 160, F1.4, 1/400 s, 50.0 mm equiv.

The parameters that you see under each photo on the website are loaded automatically from EXIF. So, the data of this picture says that it was taken on a camera Nikon D810) with a universal Nikon lens AF-S 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor. By the way, the latter is great for portrait shooting.

How to view EXIF?

Today, many photo viewing and editing programs can display EXIF: Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge. Nikon's native Capture NX-D converter displays shooting parameters in great detail.

EXIF in Adobe Lightroom

EXIF can also be seen by opening the file properties: go to "Explorer", right-click on the desired photo, select "Properties" in the context menu that opens, and in the window that appears - the "Details" tab.

There are sites that allow you to download an image and see its metadata in expanded form online. Examples of such services: http://exif.regex.info/exif.cgi ; http://metapicz.com/. With their help, you can find information about all shooting parameters, up to the distance at which the lens was focused.

There is a browser extension Google Chrome, which allows you to view the EXIF ​​of any picture on the web page you open.

Through EXIF, you can find out how many pictures were taken on the camera. For example, this is useful when buying used photographic equipment. Reception works with Nikon cameras. Cameras from other manufacturers do not always register this parameter in EXIF, and it has to be extracted using additional tricks.

To get the full EXIF ​​data, it's best not to edit the frame on a PC. Let's upload the selected image to the site http://exif.regex.info/exif.cgi and find the Shutter Count column. Here we will see the "mileage" of the camera.

The easier-to-use service https://www.camerashuttercount.com/ works on the same principle.

NIKON D810 / 18.0-35.0 mm f/3.5-4.5 SETTINGS: ISO 200, F14, 1/30s, 24.0mm equiv.

When creating HDR images in Adobe Lightroom, the final image file is assigned some shutter speed and aperture settings, although it is clear that at least two frames with different parameters were used to stitch HDR together. As a rule, the shortest shutter speed is assigned.

EXIF data can be faked

EXIF is easy to edit. There are even online services for changing shooting parameters. Therefore, EXIF ​​data can serve as reference, but not absolutely objective information.

NIKON D810 / 18.0-35.0 mm f/3.5-4.5 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F16, 1/6s, 18.0mm equiv.

How not to lose EXIF ​​data during processing?

Some editors truncate EXIF ​​irrevocably (this is a sin of many mobile applications). However, in serious post-processing programs, you can choose whether to save EXIF ​​or not. For example, in Adobe Photoshop, when you save a photo through the Save As command, all data remains, and when you save through the Save For Web tool, some metadata is removed. To avoid this, find the Metadata item in the Save For Web window and select what information to save. I usually leave out all the metadata.

In Adobe Lightroom, the situation is similar. When setting up photo exports, pay attention to the Metadata item.

Encouraged me to write for beginners about what EXIF ​​is and what its useful applications exist

EXIF(from the English Exchangeable Image File Format) is a format that will allow you to include additional information (metadata) about the photo, such as the camera manufacturer, model, when and under what conditions the picture was taken, and even if the flash fired. or not.

EXIF of any picture can be viewed in photo editors like Photoshop, viewers like ACDSee or even in Windows. Let's take a look at how to view the EXIF ​​data of a photo in each of these programs.

1. The easiest option - view EXIF ​​photos in Windows. Right-click on the photo and open the Properties menu, then Details. Here is an example EXIF ​​data from one of my photos:

So you can see the shooting parameters - value, focal length, time and date of shooting, and much other information. In addition, at the bottom there is a line "Remove Properties and Personal Information", by clicking on which you will be able to remove all EXIF ​​data or some of your choice, but more on that later.

2. In ACDSee you can also just view EXIF ​​photos. Open the photo in View mode and press Alt + Enter or go to the File->Properties menu item. A panel will appear on the left, at the bottom of which you need to select the EXIF ​​tab and you will see all the information about the photo.

3. In Photoshop EXIF photos can be viewed by pressing Alt+Shift+Ctrl+I or by going to the File->File Info menu and then selecting the Camera Data tab.