SUBJECT SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY – STAGE 4 & 5 VISUAL TEXTS Term Angle
Body Language
Camera shot Caption Clothing Colour
Composer Direction/ Eyeline
Font
Framing
Modality Offer/ Demand
Position
Reading Path Shading
Size
Symbol Vector lines
Definition/Notes Where has the photographer/artist placed the objects in the photo/frame? o A low angle shows the subject as strong and powerful. o A high angle shows submission and weakness. Posture, gesture and facial expression all tell about the way we are feeling and thinking. o What does the posture and gestures of people suggest? o What do their expressions reveal? Is this meant to be seen as a happy or serious moment? The distance from which a photograph is taken (close up, mid shot, long shot etc) o What has the distance of the shot allowed the viewer to comprehend? The descriptive, printed line of text that appears in a visual text Reflects our personality and can also be a symbol of the period, culture and status. Colour can be used as symbols o white = innocence o black = death o soft pastel colours = female o dark primary or metallic colours = male The person who has created a text (Artist – painting, cartoonist; Author – literature; Film – director) In what direction are the objects, figures, people etc facing? o Is it at the camera, past the camera or at a person or object in the photograph? o Where are the people looking? At the viewer? At each other? At something out of frame? o What do the eyelines suggest about what is considered important? The design of the text that accompanies a visual text. o What is it about the design of the text that adds meaning to the visual text? o What mood/tone/emotion is suggested by the font? o How has colour been used in the font to add meaning? The way that the subject is placed within a visual text o How has the borders of the image defined the image? o What might appear outside the frame? The degree to which an image represents a realistic portrayal of both an image as a whole, and the different objects represented in an image. LOW MODALITY MID MODALITY HIGH MODALITY The mood of a visual image can be read from the offers and demands present in an image. o Demand: when direct connection is made with the responder (subject looking directly at responder) o Offer: when the responder is an invisible and detached onlooker not invited to participate with the subject directly. Of the objects, shapes and figures in the frame can give meaning. o Who or what holds the centre of attention in the frame? o How does the position help make this the centre of attention? o How does the background contribute to the ideas you get from the photograph/frame? o How are people/objects placed in relationship to each other? o What is suggested by the placements? (Respect? Affection? Conflict? Unity?) The reading path is the order that the responder makes their way through a visual text. The path begins with the most salient element and moves to other less salient elements. The dark areas of an image that result from lack of lighting o What use has been made of shading? o What effect is gained from this shading? Of the object of interest. o Important objects are usually large and located in the foreground o Small objects that are in the background are considered less important. When something in the text stands for something abstract, such as an emotion or idea o rose = beauty, snake = evil The thing in a visual text that directs the eye of the viewer o A pointing finger directs the responder to the object
o A line of people in a queue will direct the responder to the beginning/end of the queue.