visual literacy What is visual literacy? If you can read a map, draw a diagram or interpret symbols then you are visually literate. Visual literacy is the reading and writing of visual texts.
you already READ images... you pick out T-shirts based on your ability to read images... you recognise which toilet you should use - based on an image... you judge people and musicians based on their image... You even choose clothes, music, cars, and mobile-phones based on the way they look - and the image youre going for!... the thing is... that you read images subconsciously because you have grown up in the age of technology and media where everything is shown by: Visual Images!!!
images that you read all the time...
Images cansay a lot more than words … in much faster time than in takes to read words which describe the image or idea or object or person!
you read with visual liTeracy everyday!!! (and you didnt even learn the visual literacy alphabet!!!)
In the 21st Century, a great deal of information is given to us through images. Where? web pages, ads, posters, signs, tv, dvd and cd covers, emoticons, mobile phones everywhere...
Objects - shapes and figures = people, animals, places or objects Some objects are associated with certain emotions and feelings An object can be a symbol e.g. a lion is an animal but can also be used to symbolise bravery. How do you read images?
foreground, mid-ground and back-ground or - DEPTH OF FIELD MIDGROUND FOREGROUND BACK-GROUND FOREGROUND ILLUMINATED SPACIOUS SOFT PASTEL COLOURS SYMBOL = TOY MID-GROUND SALIENT (FOCAL) POINT ILLUMINATED BODY LANGUAGE ROSY CHEEKS SYMBOL - THE SCREEN BACK GROUND DARK GREY, BROWN COLOURS BODY LANGUAGE SIZE = SMALL GIRL SYMBOL = DOLL
Size of the object of interest. Important objects are usually large and located in the foreground small objects that are in the background are considered less important. Settings have symbolic significance and influence our response to a photograph dry, country settings denote ruggedness and hardship soft, green, rural settings suggest tranquillity.
Colour - White denotes innocence and black denotes death in some cultures. Hindu people mourn in white and marry in red. Colour often represents the stereotypes soft, pastel colours = feminine stereotypes dark primary or metallic colours = masculine by some groups red = passion, love, danger black = death, evil, the unknown bright primary colours = joy, cheerful, happiness muted, washed-out, colours = poverty, decay, illness, invisible or unimportant
Position of objects, shapes and figures gives meaning are objects or characters placed in the centre, left, right, bottom, top, foreground, mid-ground, background??? are the objects close together or far apart???
Direction? = In what direction are the objects, figures, people, animal etc facing? Is it at the camera? past the camera? at the person or object in the photograph?
Angle - Where has the photographer placed us in the photo? A high angledominance A high angle shows dominance by the object low angle submission a low angle or us looking down on the object shows submission by the object being viewed Equality eye level point of view. Equality is shown through the representation of an eye level point of view.
Light Different lighting effects or colours can provide meaning soft, yellow light or back lighting creates a halo effect and can suggest innocence Over-exposed lighting (illumination) suggests heat underexposed light (shadow / dim light) suggests coolness or an enclosed feeling time of day clues are provided through the representation of light.
Body Language - posture - slumped? upright? gesture - offensive? flirting? welcoming? facial expression - angry? loving? happy?
Clothing shows ideas about: personality / style time period culture (and sub-culture = emo, goth, skater) status = professional? tradie? check- out chick? wealth = designer label? fabric? context - workplace? sport? leisure? school? peer group?
clothing... what meaning do these images give you??
to be continued... stay tuned for the next exciting episode - coming soon to...