How to Analyze a Photograph

This instructable will be exemplifying the process of analyzing a photograph. In order to extrapolate deeper meanings from a photograph it is essential to break down individual elements of the photo to determine how each set of individual visual connotators are composed together to form its meaning potentials. To demonstrate how this can be done we will be referring to the image above by Robert Cohen. This Photo captures Edward Crawford returning a canister of tear gas to police who had fired it into a crowd of protesters on August 13, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. This photo captures much more than just the visual elements within it, so much so that it went on to win the Pulitzer prize in 2015.

In analyzing this photo, just like any photo, one must begin by asking questions.

Step 1: What Is the Social Function of the Photograph?

Before diving into the semiotic elements of a photograph you may want to ask yourself why you are looking at the photograph in the first place, are you in a museum looking at art? Is this an advertisement? Is it candid or perhaps carefully composed? All of these questions will help create a framework for your analysis and a lens through which you can deconstruct individual elements.

In the case of the photograph above, this is photojournalism, meaning that in spite of appearing staged, this photo is for the most part a candid, unmediated representation of an event. This is important to know because the meaning of an image is contextual and cannot be found in the image alone but through cannons of use.

Step 2: Taking Inventory of the Semiotic Elements: Objects

The next step in analyzing your photograph is to take inventory of visual connotators in your image. One category of visual connotator is objects, and this is a great place to begin your analysis.

To do this you'll want to find specific objects in your photograph that signify something greater than its mere visual presence. In the same way that a gun can connote violence or jewelry connotes wealth, certain objects can carry meaning that drastically impact the overall meaning potentials of your photograph.

For example, one object in this image that we can use to extrapolate higher-order meaning is the canister of tear gas that we see front and center. Denoted on its own, a canister of teargas doesn't necessarily mean much, but when combined with the other elements depicted in the photo it connotes a multitude of meanings. When put in context the tear gas is connotated with violence, protest, danger, and rebellion.

When looking at objects in any given image it is important that you don't just look at each object individually but consider the multimodal nature of all the semiotic materials. This greatly impacts connotations when looking at the sum of all parts rather than just the parts themselves.

For example, the meaning extracted from the teargas develops significantly when paired with the American flag. On its own the teargas connotes protest, and on its own the American flag symbolizes patriotism, but multimodally we may deduce that this protest is political and anti-establishment.

Step 3: Colour

When considering multimodality one must not only consider the ways in which objects interact with each other but how all categories of visual connotators interact.

When looking at a photograph even if your image is in black and white, colour is always a participant in meaning-making. hypothetically if this photo was black and white one would quickly deduce that the flag garment being worn is red and blue. The contrast of the red and white stripes draws attention quickly, this is the power of saturation in photography, it creates a clearly defined representation of semiotic resources and directs eyes to what is prominently featured. In this photo, we see an excellent example of differentiation in the purest form because we are dealing with a black sky and a white glowing object in the foreground, these differences in values in photography make certain elements pop. However not all photos will have a stark differentiation in colour, they may be more monochromatic creating a softer more tranquil landscape rather than highlighting something luminous.

The colour of a photograph can make us feel a certain way due to our own connotations, for example, if a photograph denotes a dark sky that doesn't have anything to do with emotions but we connote darkness in a certain context to moodiness or sadness whereas bright photos can connote happiness. These connotations are entirely dependent on other semiotic materials. For example, the light in this picture is not creating a warmer happier atmosphere but it is indicative of violence and protest.

When looking at saturation and differentiation of colour in a photograph you'll notice that elements that pop are often important.

Step 4: Setting

Identifying the setting of your photograph provides you with a good base to help understand why the participants are there and what they are doing. Each category of visual connotators helps with understanding other elements in a cyclical manner. Exemplified by this photo we can see that the physical setting denoted helps connote the atmosphere of late night in the streets, however, it is the people and their actions that tell us that it is a protest. Analyzing the setting of a photograph sets the tone for the actions taking place within it. In this photo, we can deduce that the teargas as an object makes sense in relation to the street because these protestors appear to be occupying a space in which they are not permitted.

Each denotative element cumulatively connotes certain moods and meanings. In the case of this photograph, the aspect that carries the most depth is the man returning the tear gas to the sender. This is given meaning due to the setting providing context and setting the stage for the main participant in the action.

Who? What? Why?

Analyzing the setting helps answer crucial questions like who is this person? why are they here? what are they doing?

If there is an individual in your photograph of choice, the setting and objects will lead you to your answer, for example, a kid in a room with desks and books could likely be in a school and can be assumed to be a student, whereas an adult can be assumed to be a teacher or principal. This is the type of detective work that a toddler could perform, however, it is important to keep building and drawing connotations from the denoted semiotic elements. Once the obvious layers of who? what? and why? have been assessed it's time to dive deeper, this often means looking outside of the denoted visual aspects and questioning what might not be captured in the frame specially and also temporally. For example, in this photo asking we can see that the man is poised to throw back the canister, who threw it? where are they? does this image capture this setting properly? These questions are a result of observing the posing of the main participant being poised in a certain way with a certain intensity, this sets up the notion of conflict despite seeing no opposition in sight. which begs the question who else are we not seeing? Is the man throwing the teargas a part of a trio or are there hundreds of protestors just out of frame? These types of questions begin to fill in gaps in the overall atmosphere.

Step 5: Participants

Look for visual clues that highlight the performers' uniqueness if they are depicted as distinct people, such as extreme close-ups, facial expressions, and body language. By "humanizing" the performers through these visual clues, the audience is better able to relate to them and their actions. Look how the Individual circled in red is distinct from the group, this does not separate him from the group but rather he is being used to exemplify the group.

Search for visual cues that highlight the group as a whole rather than the individual performers, however, if the actors are depicted as being a part of a group or collective, such as a mob. It may be challenging to identify individual participants in a group, for instance, if the shot was taken at a distance, it can have a depersonalizing effect.

Step 6: Processes

There are several processes that can be captured in a photograph, but as mentioned by Susan Sontag, a photograph is a still image that cannot capture body language in motion or that act of displaying an emotional gesture, however in the same way that a picture of smoke indexes fire, there are certain gestures to look out for that carry emotional impact and suggest deeper meaning.

Keep an eye out for facial and bodily gestures that suggest the following processes:

Emotional: This can present in many different ways depending on the emotion being indexed. In the selected image we can see a fellow protester exhibiting emotion through his body language with his raised arms.

Mental: Keep an eye out for people that seem to be observing or synthesizing the information in front of them as pictured by the left-most protester in the photo who is taking in the actions of the central participant.

Verbal: There does not seem to be any verbal communication taking place at the very instance of the photo however one can deduce based off of the setting that this scene is far from tranquil.

Material: Is something happening in the photo? a picture being taken by a participant, a hammer being swung? or in this case a canister of tear gas being thrown?

Ask yourself what this moment depicts if you were to experience it holistically.

Step 7: Perspective

Now It's time to step back from the idea of looking at a photograph and think about the camera as if it were your eyes. In this POV why is your position relevant?

How far away are you? are you involved in any of the processes or are you a fly on the wall? is your presence that of a fly on the wall or is your presence invoking performative actions from your participants? This distance and horizontal angle suggest that we are not directly connected or affiliated with the events that are transpiring as the photographer is not getting up close for a special angle, this gives a normal POV feel which adds to the notion of the experience as a candid and human-like observation rather than a birds-eye view from a plane which changes the notion of being raw and detached.

As a viewer of this photo, we are not subordinate nor are we privileged but rather we are simply present thus having a more neutral emotional effect on our perception as a viewer. Any photo looking down on someone has the notion of dominance or superiority and the inverse goes for photos from below, make sure to acknowledge how this affects your feelings towards the image and the overall meaning.

Finally, ask yourself if any participants are breaking the fourth wall and staring at you, this affects the meaning because they certainly wouldn't be staring if you weren't there which implies a certain level of direct involvement rather than capturing the candid reality as is.

Step 8: Step Back and Take It All In

Take a moment to consider all of these visual connotations at once. And voila, you've successfully performed a semiotic analysis of your photograph of choice. Congratulations.

Step 9: Citation

1. Robert Cohen, 2014, Ferguson Protester, South Dakota Humanities Council, Pulitzer Centennial Campfires Initiative, February 24th 2023