Assignment 6: Photo-analysis
“What we are looking for:
Some of you analysed image the way you read it, and some analysed it from point of view of target audience. What we are looking for is analysis based on target audience perception. Assess assignment based on this criteria. Pay special attention to presentations which looked at image with out personal cultural bias.”
For this assignment, Zhen Qin and me chose the following image for analysis.
Source
The image was found in CLEO magazine, of which the target audience would predominantly be young female students or working adults. We approached the presentation with the understanding that the audiences viewing photos are not monolithic. Meaning that different people look at the same image differently.
From there, we proceeded to interpret the image as such.
Body Position
Arms of models forms a close circuit/circle that keeps the audiences’ attention within the image. The arms also guides the audience’s eyes in a circular motion that indirectly coerces the audience to take in the products on display.
Body Language
We feel that the image confirm to the stereotypical notion of males being the more dominant sex. The male model sports a more aggressive look. By holding the female model this way, it is almost as though he is claiming ownership of her.
Likewise, the female model is leaning in onto the male in a somewhat more subservient and dependent position. Attuned to widespread expectations of females being the fairer sex.
Preliminary analysis suggest that the ad will appeal to males by suggesting that wearing apparels will make them masculine and attractive. Similarly, it suggests to females that by wearing the apparels, they will appeal to males.
Body Language Redux
After some exchanges from Mr Reddy and the class, we have a deeper understanding to the body language, specifically the eyeline/gaze of the models.
Mr Reddy pointed out an important point that males and females look at images differently. Males on seeing another male, tend to see them in a more threatening light, more so than a model for himself. I.e. When males see pictures of other males, they see them as threats and not targets for emulation.
Girls on the other hand are more “tolerant” and neutral when viewing images of members of the same gender.
However, in the case of this image, it would still work for both males and females audiences. The gaze of the female model seems to acknowledge the viewers. Her eyes and half smile seems to connotes a tinge of “unfaithfulness”. Mr Reddy mentioned that there is a possibility that guys may look at the image and think unconsciously that they might have a chance with the female model.
Self & Peer Evaluation
For this assignment. I feel that Mark’s and Natalie’s presentation is the best. It was succinct and comprehensive. Just like the choice of ad chosen. (It’s a commercial for a Volvo smart car).
I guess that with most image analysis exercises, there always run a risk of over reading. Mark’s and Natalie’s presentation, I feel, managed to capture the gist of what most people will read off their selected car ad.
With them as the full marks, I would like to think that our project follow closely behind with a 95/100 (45/50 for creativity and 50/50 for effort)
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