"The endlessly seductive puzzle of sight"- Diane Arbus Clarke's 'The Photograph'

Clarke's 'The photograph' speaks very importantly of the active role the photographer plays within photography and the relationship between the reader and the image being a connection between the reader and the photographer.

From reading this text, I found that I was looking much further into the meaning and symbolism behind a photograph. Clarke talks in depth about the cultural and historical conjuncture behind a photograph and the information that we can infer from a photo has little boundaries. It has helped me to realise that the act of reading a photograph is a very complex process, in which our expectations play a huge role.

Clarke deconstructs images captured by Diane Arbus such as 'Identical twins 1967' and we can see that there is much more to this image than what we can see on the surface, there are issues of identity and culture seen through symbolism. This is something that is evident throughout many of Diane Arbus' work.

 Photographers in this process take on the role of an auteur, with the photo being a product of the photographer, reflecting a specific viewpoint, which further highlights how photography is a very active practice. The message found in a photograph can be explained as a series of codes, values and beliefs of the culture it is representing. Clarke describes photos as having a narrative structure which in relation to its historical and social context.

After reading this, I will think about the symbolism in my photographs in more depth and consider how I am presenting the historical/social context to my readers. I will definitely consider the message I am trying to send when composing photographs more closely.