In-Depth Notes on The Photographic Message by Roland Barthes

Books by Roland Barthes

• A Barthes Reader
• Camera Lucida
• Critical Essays
• The Eiffel Tower and Other Mythologies
• Elements of Semiology
• Image-Music-Text
• A Lover's Discourse
• Mythologies
• New Critical Essays
• On Racine
• The Pleasure of the Text
• Sade/Fourier/Loyola
• S/Z
• Writing Degree Zero

The Photographic Message

• The press photograph is a message composed of:

  • Source of emission: The newspaper staff (photographers, editors, etc.).
  • Channel of transmission: The newspaper, including text, title, layout, etc.
  • Point of reception: The readers of the publication.

• Interpretation of Photographs:

  • The same photograph can have different meanings depending on the publication context (e.g., conservative vs. communist newspapers).

• Sociological and Immanent Analysis:

  • Emission and reception lie in sociology, while the photograph itself requires a structural analysis.
  • Each part (photograph and accompanying text) must be analyzed separately before understanding their interplay.

The Photographic Paradox

• The content of a photograph directly transmits the literal reality without requiring a code to translate that reality into signs.

  • The photograph is an analogical perfection of the object, making it a continuous message without distinction between message and medium.

• Unlike other forms of art (e.g., drawings, cinema), the photograph contains only a denoted message with no connotation.

Connotation Procedures

Connotation in photography arises from various manipulation techniques, classified as follows:

1. Trick Effects:

   • Example: A faked photograph can convey a strong message without revealing its manipulation.

2. Pose:

   • The subject's pose (e.g., hands clasped, eyes raised) can carry connotations of spirituality, youth, etc.

3. Objects:

   • The arrangement of objects in a photograph can suggest historical or cultural meanings (e.g., a bookcase = intellectual).

4. Photogenia:

   • The enhancement of images through techniques like lighting, which carries cultural connotations.

5. Aestheticism:

   • Photography can adopt artistic styles that communicate additional meanings beyond mere representation.

6. Syntax:

   • Multiple photographs can create a narrative sequence, where the combined images produce an effect not present in individual images.

Text and Image Relationship

• The accompanying text often acts as a parasitic message that constrains the potential meanings communicated by the photograph, altering its interpretation.
  • The closer the text to the image, the less connotative it might seem, sharing in the image's assumed objectivity.
  • The text can amplify existing meanings, create new interpretations, or contradict the image, affecting overall perception.

Conclusion

• The connotation inherent in photographs draws from societal norms and cultural codes, leading to a complex web of meaning.

• Understanding the connotations of photography necessitates a comprehensive examination of the interplay between denoted and connoted messages.