Exerpt From my Essay Discussing the Essence of a Photograph

Benjamin argued that photography exemplified the loss of aura and cult value as exhibition value became ever more important, yet this can be disputed as the earliest photographs are portraits of loved ones.[1] These family photographs maintained cult value because they held the aura, the sense of presence of the absent subjects. Whilst that moment in the life of the subjects will never be experienced again, by capturing it the camera allows the aura to persist. Roland Barthes, French literary critic, says that aura is indeed held within the photograph in his examination of photography, Camera Lucida. He makes the point that a photograph is an accurate representation of the presence of an absent subject. Like Benjamin, Barthes was seeking to identify the qualities that a photograph holds within the image. He described a distinction between the two planes of an image, the first of which is the studium and the second is the punctum. Barthes considered the studium to hold the subject of the image, denoting the linguistic, cultural, context, history and political interpretation of a photograph, declaring, “The studium is a kind of education.” For example: Heat Spell May 23rd 1941 by Arthur Fellig (Weegee) depicts children sleeping on a fire escape in New York City.[2] The punctum holds the wounding, personally touching detail, that which holds our attention without judgement as to meaning or even beauty. This is the aspect of the above photograph that establishes a relationship with the viewer and speaks to the heart. Barthes establishes the point that photographs can ineradicably touch their audience with poignant detail.[3] [4] Benjamin derided photography stating that aura is reduced and eroded by mechanical reproduction, but Barthes disagrees and establishes the important point that photography is used to hold onto the essence of that which is most precious to us. “the photograph mechanically repeats what could never be repeated existentially.” [5]

Photographs are physically handled and as such become as important, as objects with merit, as the subjects they depict. They are intrinsically linked with history as they take us backwards in time, empowering a connection to little pieces of history we wish to hold onto. The punctum is the un-coded aspect of the photograph, that which is not necessarily there but brought by the individual, recalled by or connected to their memory. “Last thing about the punctum: whether or not it is triggered, it is an addition: it is what I add to the photograph and what is nonetheless already there.”[6] Barthes illustrates this point in depth by discussing the famous Winter Garden Photograph of his mother, age five. Although the meaningful aspects are detailed, to better illustrate his point he does not reproduce the image, “for you, it would be nothing but an indifferent picture”[7] He strives to put into words the element that the photograph holds, but also explains that others will not see exactly what he does as it is “something inexpressible” [8] Barthes calls this quality “utopically, the impossible science of the unique being”.[9] Time is also a component of the fabric of a photograph, Barthes tells us that, “every photograph is a certificate of presence”[10] and time is an inherent quality of memory. This is perfectly illustrated in Camera Lucida as he discusses a photograph of Lewis Payne, who is about to be hanged in 1865 for a crime. At that point in time in 1979 as he looked at the image there were two clear elements: the ‘this will be’ and the ‘this has been’.[11] Clearly Payne is long since dead when this image is being spoken of by Barthes, yet here in the moment of the photograph he is seen to be alive, soon to die. Payne is both dead and is going to die. In this way Barthes clarifies the essence that photographs hold, how they exist as art holding aura and authenticity. He suggests that photography gives us a truth-to-presence (something was in front of the lens in that past moment in space and time) even if they do not always give a truth-to-appearance (it allows that the image may cease to look like their subject in the present moment).

Developing the concept of memory as an essential part of the fabric of a photograph art critic John Berger theorised, “What served in place of the photograph before the camera’s invention? The expected answer is the engraving, the drawing, the painting. The more revealing answer might be memory. What photographs do out there in space was previously done within reflection.”[12] In today’s rapidly changing world we need to update this question with a new one as proposed by Fred Ritchen, ‘“What served in place of the digital photograph before the camera’s invention?” The answer might be more playful, having more to do with conversation, even speculation. The past would be recreated, rethought and reinvented, the process more resembling an oral tradition where divergent views of the community are taken into account.’[13]

By its very nature digital photography changes the material substance of a photograph because the physical contact we have with them commonly ceases to exist. Large groups of images are rapidly transferred instantly into electronic files and often remain in that format. Barthes photographic object that holds the essence of his mother is no longer real, so does this mean that the aura of the photograph is destroyed by digitalisation? The process of choosing that eloquent photograph to keep, be it in a frame or special album has disintegrated, as digital frames can store multiple images and can be set to display on a slideshow, changing the image frequently. Film photographs are framed, organised into albums, and passed on to family members and friends. This practice contributes in establishing the authenticity Benjamin declared essential to a work of art, as the history is bound up with the image by this process. In defence of the digital image, the ability to share within moments, a photograph of a newborn baby with relatives in a different country is a wonderful experience, which instantly establishes authenticity. Such an image would clearly deliver both punctum and studium within its content, regardless of its digital origin.

[1] The Verge

Museum of London publishes a family’s Christmas home recordings from 1902

The Verge (2011) Museum of London publishes a family’s Christmas home recordings from 1902. [online] Available at: http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/25/3803024/christmas-day-celebration-

[2] sidphoto

Candid Photography: It’s Now Or Never – 15 Of Weegee’s Most Powerful Candid Photos

sidphoto (1937) Candid Photography: It’s Now Or Never – 15 Of Weegee’s Most Powerful Candid Photos. [online] Available at: http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2011/09/candid-photography-its-now-or-never-15-of-weegees-best-candid-photos/.

[3] En.wikipedia.org

Camera Lucida (book) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

En.wikipedia.org (2011) Camera Lucida (book) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_Lucida_(book).

[4] Dillon, B.

Rereading: Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes

Dillon, B. (2011) Rereading: Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes. [online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/mar/26/roland-barthes-camera-lucida-rereading.

[5] Barthes, R.