Camera Lucida
The book Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography was written byRoland Barthes and is 119 pages long. Camera Lucida was the final bookwritten Barthes and is actually part of a trilogy which also includes thebooks, Roland Barthes and A Lovers Discourse. Camera Lucida discussesseveral aspects of the art of photography according to Barthes. The topicsdiscussed in the book include; Emotion as Departure, Photography asAdventure, and photography as a casual Phenomenology. Barthes alsoexplores the responsibility that photography has to inform, to surprise, tosignify, to paint and to waken desire. Barthes begins the book by explaining his amazement with photographyfrom an early age. The author describes a photograph of Napoleon's
He has a way of drawing the reader into his world where hedescribes what photography means to him. The author does and excellent jobof describing the purpose of photography to the reader. Theauthor refers to the picture, which also features her seven year oldbrother, as the Winter Garden Photograph. The author concluded that the photograph was imperative tounderstanding his mother's life and her true persona. What I found most striking about this book is the eloquence with whichBarthes wrote. The book also discusses the importance of capturing time throughphotography. After search through hundreds of pictures Barthes actually chooses aphotograph that was taken of his mother when she was five years old. Barthes alsosuggests that the picture is so pure because of the innocence of thesubject. This particular photograph actually caused Barthes todesire to know more about the art of photography. Overall this is anexcellent book that is truly worth reading if you are interested inphotography. Aphotograph can capture an individual's feelings and emotions and tell theviewer a great deal about the personality of the subject. In the book Barthesmentions that he was "overcome by an ontological desire; I wanted to learnat all costs to what Photography was in itself" (Barthes) Barthes spent therest of his life in pursuit of the definition of photography. He seemed to believe that this photo captured a time inhis mother life when she was being her authentic self. Barthes seems to assert that the best photos aretaken when the subject isn't being pretentious or posing. Barthes asserts that photographs have a way of taking us backto the time the photo was taken.
Common topics in this essay:
Photograph Barthes,
Phenomenology Barthes,
Barthes Barthes,
Camera Lucida,
Roland Barthes,
Photography Adventure,
camera lucida,
barthes explains,
Reflections Photography,
photography barthes,
photograph mother,
barthes asserts,
art photography,
barthes actually,
roland barthes,
,
|
Acceptance Essays
