1. Interpretation
How to interpret a photograph

2. Interpretation Quick Guide Observation
Describe exactly what you see in the photo
What people and objects are shown?
How are they arranged?
What is the physical setting?
What other details can you see?

3. Interpretation Quick Guide Photographic design
Describe what you see relating to design issues
What elements of design are included?
What principles of design?
What about lighting, composition, depth of field?

4. Interpretation Quick Guide Knowledge
Summarize what you already know about the situation and time period shown, and the people and objects that appear.

5. Interpretation Quick Guide Interpretation
What’s going on in the picture?
Who are the people and what are they doing?
What might be the function of the objects?
What can we conclude about the time period?
What is the message?

6. Interpretation Quick Guide Subjective observation
What are your personal feelings, associations and judgments about the image?

7. Interpretation
Gordon Parks

8. Interpretation Gordon Parks
Photographer, musician, poet, novelist, activist, film director
Documentary photographer for the Farm Security Administration
War correspondent in the Office of War Information
Standard Oil Photography Project

9. Interpretation Gordon Parks Life Magazine Civil Rights activist
Director of Shaft, 1971

10. Interpretation
Gordon Parks
The Brown family, 1943

11. Interpretation
Gordon Parks
Ethel Shariff, 1963 for Life Magazine

12. Interpretation
Gordon Parks
Ingrid Bergman, 1949, Life Magazine

13. Interpretation
Gordon Parks
Malcolm X, Life Magazine

14. Interpretation
Gordon Parks

15. Interpretation Robert Doisneau 1912-1994 Renault French resistance
Vogue
Life Magazine

16. Interpretation
Robert Doisneau
Kiss by the Hotel de Ville, 1950

17. Interpretation
Robert Doisneau
The fox terrier, 1953

18. Interpretation
Robert Doisneau

19. Interpretation
Robert Doisneau
Picasso, 1952

20. Interpretation
Robert Doisneau