EXPLORING AN INDIVIDUAL IMAGE

An individual photograph can be explored and understood like other visual media, such as a painting or drawing. Exploring the elements of a photo will help students appreciate the impact of photography and the exhibit.

Use the photographs included in this guide to discuss the following terms with students:

Light and dark: Where is the light coming from in the photograph? Is it natural or artificial? Are there strong contrasts between light and dark in the photograph?

Space: Is the space (area) shown in the photograph deep or shallow?

Line: What types of lines do you see in the photo? Are they straight, curved, thick, thin, diagonal, or horizontal?

Texture: Can you identify different textures in the photograph?

COMPOSITION

Arrangement: Does it look like Salgado arranged/posed objects or people in the photograph?

Angle: Where was the photographer standing in relation to the people in the photo? Does the angle create a certain effect?

Mood: Is the photo creating a mood? What in the photograph contributes to making this mood?

Frame: Look at the edges of the photograph. What did the artist choose to include in the image? Did he cut or exclude anything? Does the framing of the image draw your eye to certain areas of the photograph?

Comparing Photographs: Using the visual literacy vocabulary and the photographs reproduced in this guide, ask students to compare the scenes depicted in each image. Use a world map to identify the regions featured in the photographs.