Week 3

Well hello organizational confusion! Initially I had to take a step back and re-read sections of this chapter multiple times, truth be told that I am unsure if I have fully grasped it. Luckily it had diagrams, without them I fear I would not have made it through to this assignment. Fortunately after some time I believe I have at least grasped enough to answer the above questions. The actual video was much easier to follow, the speaker was not boring or monotone, the subject matter and the relation to what he was saying made sense and it was just the right length to keep me interested.

In terms of tools and techniques being put into practice, this was done via multiple resources such as images, graphs, diagrams, flowcharts, arrangements, classifications etc throughout the chapter. Kress and Leeuwen dive deeply into the aforementioned, however, it was in the section Embedding that I became the most interested as it essentially speaks about the makeup and classification of imagery and the complexity of an image. An image is provided of five children, different genders, different ages, and different ethnicities. All huddled around one another and a globe. This image is essentially more than just a cute snapshot of some children with a prop. There is a story that is embedded, that could perhaps be read in different ways. However within that reading process is a classification process. As a photographer I have never really thought about this. I have always thought about the ways that an image may be translated or in some cases I have shot a particular image to send a very direct message; however I have never thought about the actual classifications that an image may hold. According to Kress and Leeuwen there are a number of markers that compose the image, covert taxonomy, analytical processes, possessive attributes, symbolic attributive process and transactional processes. Broken down in the following context.

“Covert Taxonomies are often used in a variety of advertisements, where the photographs may, for instance, show arrangements of bottles that represent the variety of products marketed under a brand name, or arrangements of different people who all use the same product” (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006, p. 82). If we look at the image the five children represent covert Taxonomies. Further, the image is broken down when we see each individual attribute of each child in comparison to another. Per the Embedding section in chapter three these analytical processes and possessive attributes,  “create visual concepts of their different ethnicities” (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006, p.108). In addition the images through the classification processes also explores the associations of the children to the globe and the body language of the children. The globe placement was indeed a message; the image shows some of the children touching the globe, which brings the viewers eyes to it. It is no longer just a prop in an image it has built a relationship with the viewer. Just as some of the children with their arms around one another are interacting within the image. We are now drawn into their circle.

Green literacy approach I believe could carry over into the translation of imagery as it from an operational standpoint focuses on three concepts being Operational, Cultural and Critical. From an operational standpoint when viewing an image such as the one referenced above we essentially decode which falls under Operational. In addition when classifying or reading an image we ultimately have to analyze, critique and recognized the elements that are telling the story or conveying the message which falls under both Cultural and Critical. The cultural “relies on using strategies to receive and transmit meaning. Developing an understanding of content and context” (Green 1996).  While the critical,” recognizes the socially constructed nature of knowledge and literary practices. Asking critical questions and constructing Alternative perspectives” (Green 1996). These processes can and are used when viewing an image that is sending a message. Ultimately the image of the children and the globe is representing unity of different ethnicities from places all over the world even though they reside in Australia.

For me whenever I am trying send a message or clarify a meaning I tend to do so visually. For work it is often via a series of images, ultimately I am trying to tell a story and not just create a memory. With technology has come an enormous group of people that just “take pictures” many that do not tell a story, many that have cheesy actions thrown and layered over them, many that are for personal fun. For me whether a client hires me or I am working on a personal project, I want a story to unfold. I want it to be embedded and read into.  

I enjoyed the Jenkins video; I find it to be rather interesting that there is pushback in terms of technology and the classroom. I am hopeful that we will dive further into this issue as the video fell short in that area.

References

Green, B.  (1996). "Graphical representation of GREEN's approach to literacy."

Jenkins, Henry. "TEDxNYED - Henry Jenkins - 03/06/10." Online video clip. Youtube. Uploaded on April 13th, 2010. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFCLKa0XRlw. February 2nd, 2015.

Kress, Gunther & van Leeuwen, Theo (2006). Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. New York: Routledge.