How to analyze photographic works by using photographic aesthetic psychology with specific examples?

The British "Cambridge Art History" believes that there are four main analysis methods for works of art (works of art):

The first is to look at its functional purpose, that is, the question of who to serve; Second, look at its cultural background; Third, look at the realistic characteristics of the work, whether there is style; Finally, look at its form, such as the characteristics of composition skills. Obviously, the application of artistic language, especially creative and personalized artistic language in works is a major focus of works analysis.

Many people have their own opinions on analyzing photographic works, but in any case, the most basic steps in the analysis process are indispensable, that is, watching, thinking, watching and thinking again. See what you say, see how you say, see how far you say. Generally, the analysis begins with looking at pictures. It is best for the analyst to have some knowledge of visual expression, such as visual psychology, photography, photography history, visual language, etc., and try to understand the real intention to be expressed in the photographic picture as much as possible from inside and outside the picture. It is worth noting that analysts must be clear about the types of photographic works they will analyze and the basic creative standards they apply respectively. Ordinary viewers should not expect anything after reading the picture. But for serious appreciators, they are not satisfied with reading pictures. They also want to know about photographers, this kind of photographic works, and more information about works, authors and this kind of creative phenomenon, so as to do further comparative research and deeply analyze the expression skills of photographic works themselves.

To sum up, it is the following four steps:

1. From the picture:

2. Understand the real intention of the picture:

3. Interpret the photographer (if possible, try to understand the background information related to the creation of the work):

4. Analyze the relationship between picture content and form (also called "meaning and structure" or "conception and expression").

Look at the meaning-read the meaning of the picture

◎ Examining the titles of photographic works and grasping the subject titles (including subheadings) revealed in the pictures are usually the finishing touch or the most concise summary of most photographic works. No matter whether the photographic work is a series of photos or a single photo, you will know the content and general meaning of the work immediately through the guidance of its title. So when we look at a work, we should look at the picture in combination with the title, or look at the title in connection with the picture. The information provided by the title comes from time (a certain year, a certain month and a certain day, indicating a certain historical period), from space (a certain place, indicating a certain shooting place), from events, plots, and even from expressing some emotional mentality and strange feelings. These are the most important information at work.

Or a part of important information. In short, the title can more or less express or imply the content to be revealed and the intention of the creator.

◎ Based on pictures, summarize the theme of the work (conception). Theme (conception) is the soul of the work and the value of the work. In the concrete analysis process, we first determine the ideological depth and humanistic position of the work according to the idea of the work, and infer its existence value and social effect from it, and infer the idea of the work from the title combined with the picture. Then, from the step-by-step interpretation of the works, I carefully understand the artist's refining and generalization of the shooting theme, as well as his mastery of various performance skills. This is actually a reproduction and restoration of the creator's mental operation process. We can judge the success or failure of photography creation from this.

Look at the expression-analysis of various expression skills inside and outside the screen

No matter how important the idea of a picture is, it ultimately depends on the way the picture is expressed. Once an idea leaves expression, it becomes meaningless, because only the expressed idea can be understood and accepted by people. In other words, what most of us can understand and accept can only be expressed. The degree of understanding and acceptance depends entirely on the degree of expression. Because of this, "monks only talk at home." What you say to others is to make others understand what you say, unless you don't want others to understand at all. Mystery, the purpose of which is only to show one's "knowledge", is quite different from the meaning of words. In fact, concreteness itself is significant, but this significance is often random and uncertain, and there are many possibilities in understanding. The difficulty of visual expression lies in its purpose (that is, the screening and confirmation of specific meaning). As far as photography is concerned, as long as an image is taken, it is meaningful to express it. The question is whether this expression can convey the meaning, whether there is still a distance from the idea, and how to shorten or even eliminate this distance is the main purpose of learning photography as a visual expression.

◎ Analysis and judgment of modeling ability

Analysis of composition skills

1. Selection and emphasis of subject and object.

This mainly includes: the use of lens focal length when shooting works, the selection and control of scenes, the consideration of shooting distance, shooting height and shooting direction, the control of background range, light and shade, reality, the selection of depth of field, the handling of actions, the handling of expressions, the control of plot, the selection of moments, the depiction of details, the ideas and schemes of editing or display, etc. It can also be said that it is the only way. Every specific photographic picture should faithfully reflect the photographer's specific shooting intention. The photographer fully proves his new discovery of a shooting theme at the shooting scene through composition, and the photographer's visual discovery mainly depends on his brand-new observation angle of the shooting object. A new angle produces a new feeling. Only in the photographic picture with unique angle can we fully and effectively emphasize the new feeling. Therefore, making full use of the unique expression of photography to select and emphasize the subject and object has become the primary task of photographic expression. If which lens focal length is used? What kind of shooting angle do you choose? What kind of scene should I take (if it's a close-up, should I take a close-up shot with a wide-angle lens or take a reverse shot with a long-focus lens)? What depth of field do you choose? How to control the details of the picture? How to arrange the actual situation? How to choose instantly? How to deal with tone? If it is a series of photos, how to conceive the overall performance? When we analyze the photographic works, we just want to see what means the photographer uses to highlight the main body of the picture and achieve the purpose of expression.

As far as shooting distance is concerned, there is a lot of knowledge in it. Some people say that distance produces beauty, and point out the importance of keeping distance in aesthetic situation. But many times, we don't just pursue beauty, because there are more important things in creation than beauty. Because of this, robert capa told me bluntly, "If your photos are not good enough, it is because you are not close enough." Indeed, for news photos, it is important that photos can faithfully reproduce the real feelings of the scene. Of course, Kappa's remarks also contain another meaning, that is, the persistence, courage and spirit of sacrifice that are more admirable in the quality of photographers and are ready to pay the price of their lives anytime and anywhere. Kappa's idea has a far-reaching influence on news photography in the modern world. Enzo San, an Italian modern photographer who is good at documentary photography, also has major photographic experience: "I prefer to shoot at close range, shooting very close." Although the large composition he shot is not a news photo at best, what he got from the close-up shooting is the self-resolution of the shooting behavior in the photo-the feeling that the picture gives people. The existence of the camera has been completely ignored, and the camera's viewpoint seems to have disappeared into the subjective feeling. What is left in the photo is only my heartfelt feelings. Coincidentally, Deng Wei, a contemporary photographer in China who successfully photographed world political and cultural celebrities at his own expense, also advocated taking portraits at close range in order to "hear each other's heartbeats", which has evolved into a challenge with great psychological tension and humanistic spirit.

2. The management of picture space.

Here mainly includes: the relationship between shape (subject shape and background shape) and screen space, such as "loose" and "tight", "sparse" and "dense"; The relationship between balance and picture space, such as the application of balance principle in traditional painting in photography and the new changes of balance law in modern photographic composition, the relationship between perspective and picture space, such as the openness, distance and depth of picture perspective, the exaggeration and compression of perspective by lenses with different focal lengths, etc. The relationship between motion and picture space, such as silence and flying, internal implied motion and external intense motion, affects the formation and configuration of picture space; Rhythm and picture space, such as the complete expression of visual pleasure and visual meaning produced by rhythm; Requirements of symbolic and suggestive factors (express or implied) in the establishment of psychological space outside painting, etc.

3. The composition of the picture tone.

Refers to the configuration of light and shade in a photographic picture to meet the needs of visual expression, such as the selection and reasonable distribution of picture tones; Processing of shadows; The establishment of picture tone: the technical control of full-tone photos; Tone adjustment and contrast control in black and white photos; The relationship between hue and virtual reality in the picture; The difference between background sound and tonic sound; The relationship between the overall tone effect and the emotional atmosphere of the picture.

4. Composition of picture lines.

Line is the most abstract and basic visual element that constitutes the main modeling feeling of photographic pictures. We can emphasize the modeling of the subject and background, form a harmonious visual order, and produce visual tension inside and outside the screen. In the analysis of specific photographic works, we usually start with the main line of the picture and infer the photographer's real intention of extracting and intercepting the main line of the picture when creating. Because when we search along the main line, we can naturally understand the meaning of the picture. Therefore, we usually call this main line that runs through the plot content of the picture "visual guide line".

5. Composition of picture color.

Color feeling is the strongest and most externalized visual expression, so it is also the most difficult and active visual element in photography creation. Many people can't help it because they don't understand the temperament of color. Especially in the choice of objective color and the control of subjective color, there are traps everywhere and new challenges will always be faced. Color should not only have profound artistic accomplishment, but also have unique color experience and effective creative expression methods.

6. Create the background atmosphere of the picture.

The difficulty of visual expression lies in the expression of atmosphere. An excellent drama or film director is not only good at directing drama, but also good at inducing atmosphere. Actually, taking pictures is the same.

Reason. Many beginners pick up cameras to take pictures. "One leaf can't see Mount Tai", but they only see the main body, have no background, and have improper attention distribution. They focus on one end of the subject and unconsciously give up the overall management. Because the background of the photos taken is seriously out of control, the performance of the subject has to be visually disturbed by the messy background, so it is impossible to clearly express the photographer's true intention. Experienced photographers know that the time and energy spent taking pictures on the background of the picture is far greater than the time and energy needed to control the subject selection. In the specific operation process, the background is often more important than the subject, because the business picture must have a comprehensive consideration. It is necessary for a photographer to have complete control of the picture. Not only should the background effectively set off the subject, but also the background factors should be consciously used as information closely related to the subject to express the reality. The background itself is an integral part of the theme expression.

Light skill analysis

Photography skill is to a great extent the skill of using light. The success of photography is first of all the success of running out of light. Special sensitivity to light and meticulous control ability are essential qualities that photographers should have. Light processing. Only when the skills are completely in place can we form a good expression effect, otherwise, even the best creativity can not be reflected in the photographic picture. The most important thing here is a good sense and feeling of using light. Distinguish between professional and amateur, and you can know a thing or two by looking at the light consumption consciousness of photographic pictures. Professional photographers always pay attention to the skills of using light everywhere, even to the point of being very concerned and almost harsh. Moreover, the professional photographer's sense of light is more valuable, because only a good sense of light can be used up in the shortest time at the shooting scene, which is extremely

Decisively make choices and judgments on specific light consumption schemes and measures, and strictly control every specific detail. The feeling of running out of light is not just a matter of skill and skill. What is embodied here is more of an encounter, or a special ability and talent. For example, when shooting portraits, most photographers like to use contour light to distinguish between people and background, and at the same time, it can be used to outline the contour features of the most representative parts of people, thus beautifying people, so many people think that this kind of lighting is a classic lighting. However, a good photographer will never be superstitious about what the so-called classics run out. He is always trying to innovate and gain new feelings. They are very careful when they use side light, because everything that everyone likes is overused, which must be the least creative and kitsch. Therefore, they often use the simplest and most inconspicuous background light instead of silhouette light, and use the creation of picture atmosphere to replace the beautification of the main body of the characters, so that the characters look more "connotative". In fact, this is a more sensible approach.

The rational use of visual language and other comprehensive skills has its limitations, and photography is no exception. First, photography is only visual, inaudible and inaudible. Second, the space displayed by photography is only a two-dimensional plane space, which cannot be compared with the real three-dimensional world at all. Third, photography is a static performance. It only captures a moment in motion, but it is by no means a faithful copy of a process. It is greatly limited in time and space-it is just a "slice" in the eternal chain of time and space! These restrictions before us are indisputable and helpless facts. However, there will be a breakthrough if there are restrictions, or from another angle. It is precisely because of certain restrictions that we can find our own foothold and space for survival and development, and we can fully see these restrictions and try to break them to broaden their boundaries. Many experienced photographers have made many fruitful efforts to break the limitations of photography, such as their integration of photography or traditional visual language.

Various skills. Some even use the latest scientific research results of visual perception psychology. We should pay full attention to this when analyzing his works.