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W h e n v i e w i n g t h e s e “ p e r f e c t ” p h o to g r a p h y, h a v e a l w a y s f e l t s o m e t h i n g i s m i s s i n g i n t h i s m o d e r n m o v e m e n t i n p h o t o g r a p h y . N a r r o w i n g i t d o w n t o t h e l a c k f l a w s . L i k e i m a g e s l i k e I a m s h a r i n g . A t h e o r y o n p h o t o g r a p h y t a l k e d a b o u t a b o o k c a l l e d , C am era Lu cida , by Ro land B ar th es . T h e missing e l e m e n t o f t o d a y ’ s i m a g e s a t h e o r y i s p u r e l y b a s e d o n p e r s o n a l o p t i o n a r e t h e S t u d i u m a n d P u n c t u m .
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out at the viewer within a photograph‘ that accident which pricks, bruises me.’ Punctum can exist alongside studium, but disturbs it, creating an ‘element which rises from the scene’ and unessentially f ills the whole image. Punctum is the rare detail that at tracts you to an image. S tudium a kind of education (civilit y, politeness) that allows discover y of the operator ’. S tudium an element that creates interest in a photographic image. It shows the intention of the photographer but we experience
t h i s i n te n t i o n i n r e v e r s e a s s p e c t a to r s ; t h e p h o to g r a p h e r t h i n k s o f t h e i d e a (o r i n te n t i o n) t h e n p r e s e n t i t p h o to g r a p h i c a l l y, t h e s p e c t a to r t h e n h a s to a c t i n t h e o p p o s i te w a y, t h e y s e e t h e p h o to g r a p h t h e n h a v e to i n te r p r e t a te i t to s e e t h e i d e a s a n d i n te n t i o n s b e h i n d i t . A s to d ay ’s p h o to g r a p hy b e i n g technically perfect, you could say the studium is the i m a g e a n d t h e p u n c t u m i s t h e p e r fe c tn e s s . F o r y o u k n o w i m a g e i s a l a n d s c a p e o r p o r t r a i t , a n d t h e c r i s p t i g h t n e s s i s e y e c atc h e r. A s t h e s e i m a g e s d o n’ t g i v e a s e n s e of h u m a n
c r a f t s m a n s h i p t h o u g h w e k n o w i t i s t h e r e i t i s to r e a l i s t i c a l l y s u r r e a l . F o r e x a m p l e w o u l d t h e S p h y n x b e m o r e i n te r e s t i n g i f i t s t i l l h a d i t s n o s e? W i t h to d a y s “ p e r f e c t ,” p i c t u r e s , I f e e l t h e s e p h o to g r a p h s o n l y h a v e o n e o f t h e s e t w o e l e m e n t s , b u t n o t b o t h a t t h e s a m e t i m e . Yo u m i g h t d i s a g r e e w i t h m e a n d t h a t i s f i n e . P u r e l y m y o p t i o n b u t I f e e l w e a s p e o p l e h a v e b e e n to o f o c u s e d o n t h e p e r f e c t n e s s o f to d a y ’ s i m a g e s t h a t t h e f l a w s a n d m i s h a p s s e e m f o r e i g n a n d n o s t a l g i c o f a t i m e a l m o s t f o r g o t te n . Photography and article by Matthew McIntosh