Comments on: Public Images of the Clinical Eye http://www.nocaptionneeded.com/?p=4303 ICONIC PHOTOGRAPHS, PUBLIC CULTURE, AND LIBERAL DEMOCRACY Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:13:13 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Kuba Wasowski http://www.nocaptionneeded.com/?p=4303&cpage=1#comment-14738 Kuba Wasowski Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:34 +0000 http://www.nocaptionneeded.com/?p=4303#comment-14738 Though both photographs are visually appealing with striking colors and incredible detail, I believe their main difference lies in the ability of each photograph to produce an emotional response from the viewer. The hesitation and fear of the patient can clearly be scene within the first photograph; this gives the photograph emotional content and clearly has the ability to invoke an emotion of sympathy from the viewer. It is the patient’s expression that brings emotional content to the photograph. When I looked at the first photo I immediately thought to my self as being in that situation and began to sympathize with the subject. This is because the photograph was framed in such a way that it not only showed the vulnerability of the patient put it also gave a sense of connection between the viewer and the situation. Almost every person has had an eye exam, and knows exactly the vulnerability that comes with being that exposed. This photograph combines the viewer’s personal knowledge of the situation with the emotional content provided by the subject in the photograph. The result is a particular emotional response from the viewer. The second photograph, though more invasive and clearly more uncomfortable for the subject (that is if he is in fact awake.) lacks the ability of the first paragraph to create a strong emotional response from the viewer. When I looked at this photograph I was more interested from a scientific stand point as to why the eye was put in this particular situation, and what type of procedure was being performed on the eye? I believe this is because the way the picture is framed lacks the emotional. The viewer can not see the owner of the eye and thus can not reed his facial expression. The lack of an individual within the photo makes the eye to me en inanimate object. Also the darkness of the surrounding environment don’t allow the viewer to frame the eye within a situation. This lack of a person with emotions combined with a lack of background to frame the situation disconnects the viewer from the influence of emotional content. Instead the viewer can look at the photograph as pure informational content, without emotions only questions remain. The viewer begins to look for knowledge and answers to questions. Though both photographs are visually appealing with striking colors and incredible detail, I believe their main difference lies in the ability of each photograph to produce an emotional response from the viewer.
The hesitation and fear of the patient can clearly be scene within the first photograph; this gives the photograph emotional content and clearly has the ability to invoke an emotion of sympathy from the viewer. It is the patient’s expression that brings emotional content to the photograph. When I looked at the first photo I immediately thought to my self as being in that situation and began to sympathize with the subject. This is because the photograph was framed in such a way that it not only showed the vulnerability of the patient put it also gave a sense of connection between the viewer and the situation. Almost every person has had an eye exam, and knows exactly the vulnerability that comes with being that exposed. This photograph combines the viewer’s personal knowledge of the situation with the emotional content provided by the subject in the photograph. The result is a particular emotional response from the viewer.
The second photograph, though more invasive and clearly more uncomfortable for the subject (that is if he is in fact awake.) lacks the ability of the first paragraph to create a strong emotional response from the viewer. When I looked at this photograph I was more interested from a scientific stand point as to why the eye was put in this particular situation, and what type of procedure was being performed on the eye? I believe this is because the way the picture is framed lacks the emotional. The viewer can not see the owner of the eye and thus can not reed his facial expression. The lack of an individual within the photo makes the eye to me en inanimate object. Also the darkness of the surrounding environment don’t allow the viewer to frame the eye within a situation. This lack of a person with emotions combined with a lack of background to frame the situation disconnects the viewer from the influence of emotional content. Instead the viewer can look at the photograph as pure informational content, without emotions only questions remain. The viewer begins to look for knowledge and answers to questions.

]]> By: Tyler Hasenclever http://www.nocaptionneeded.com/?p=4303&cpage=1#comment-14720 Tyler Hasenclever Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:19:25 +0000 http://www.nocaptionneeded.com/?p=4303#comment-14720 The emotional reaction captured within the patients gaze is incredible, and I agree that his eye has been made an object of the clinical gaze. Gaze is a looking practice of an image and the viewer. The gaze also helps to establish relationships of power. In the first photo the patient is in control and represents it through his softer gaze off to the side as he is being examined. The second photo however shows the doctors in full power, because his gaze is much more intense and you can since his fear within his gaze. The second image creates a more powerful image than the first because of the patient’s intense gaze. The dramatic values of the photos are also being enhanced through color with binary opposition. Binary opposition is identifying the opposite nature of an event and in these two photos it is represented through light and dark “red examining light and the dark background”. The red light highlights the eye in a way to make it the focal point of the photo. The color red also represents negativity when referring to the eye as diseased. The angle of the photo creates an environment where you feel face-to-face with the patient. It represents the perspective of the doctor, and places you within the examining room. The emotional reaction captured within the patients gaze is incredible, and I agree that his eye has been made an object of the clinical gaze. Gaze is a looking practice of an image and the viewer. The gaze also helps to establish relationships of power. In the first photo the patient is in control and represents it through his softer gaze off to the side as he is being examined. The second photo however shows the doctors in full power, because his gaze is much more intense and you can since his fear within his gaze. The second image creates a more powerful image than the first because of the patient’s intense gaze.

The dramatic values of the photos are also being enhanced through color with binary opposition. Binary opposition is identifying the opposite nature of an event and in these two photos it is represented through light and dark “red examining light and the dark background”. The red light highlights the eye in a way to make it the focal point of the photo. The color red also represents negativity when referring to the eye as diseased. The angle of the photo creates an environment where you feel face-to-face with the patient. It represents the perspective of the doctor, and places you within the examining room.

]]>