Spoken Image

by Clive Scott

Language has always been central to the meaning and exploitation of photographic images. However, the various types and "styles" of language associated with different photographic genres have been largely overlooked. This book considers the nature of photography, examining the language used in titles, captions and commentaries, particularly as they relate to documentary photography, photojournalism and fashion photography.

The Spoken Image addresses the question of how the photograph communicates its message, with or without the aid of language. The book looks at the work of film-makers such as Antonioni and Greenaway to contrast filmic methods of narration with those of photography. Scott concludes that photography has arrived at a level of communicative sophistication equal to that of modern textual narratives, in conjunction with which it often works.

Genres: Photography, Art

360 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 1999

Reviews

[Sharada Prasad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book. It helped me understand the narratives and captions linked to photography. It is a pretty dense book with references to many people, books etc. and hence people might find it to be a bit boring. But a good read if one is use to wading through such text!