Youtube response

Photographs can be interpreted an infinite amount of ways; however, there is one over ruling factor which sways this initial interpretation greatly, that being the photographs context. Photographs are used everywhere to tell stories or show something. Professional photographers work is most often found in either galleries, newspapers, and eventually text books. These contexts all have distinct thoughts that will come into the head of the viewer even before seeing the photograph.

Jeff Wall is a photographer who's photos often portray scenes with backstory's, which seem to be relatively unclear and questions raising. Wall's photos are primarily shot for

galleries, which only provide a title. "An Eviction" by Jeff Wall created in 1988 appeared in a gallery. It is shot in such a way that would make us, expect to see it in a gallery. The subject is this fighting group of people, which do not seem to be the emphasis of the photo. This de-emphisis in a gallery most likely would seem like a stylistic choice made by Wall. This same photo appearing in a newspaper would give different conceptual meaning to this backstory. The story this photo accompanies would probably be about the endangering of this neighborhood rather then the brutality against the police itself.

This photo by Anne Leibovitz was featured in Vogue magazine in a fashion article. "Wendy" or Keira Knightly in this photo is clearly emphasized by her white dress in contrast the the dark storm clouds. In this context her dress is emphasized to advertise. If this photo was to appear in a textbook it would be seen as a well done artistic recreation of "The Wizard of Oz." In this context, Wendy's white dress is seen to emphasize her importance in the movie.

The context of a photograph is a key part to understanding what the photographer was trying to show or tell. Open interpretation and understanding everything else that the photographer did not mean, however, is an important part of photography because a photographer has no to little control of his photos after they are produced, this context is often lost to or transformed into the internet, which in itself gives off it's own feeling.