Initial Briefing

We have just been introduced to our first module of the year, 'Areas of photographic practice'. This module is about understanding narrative and meaning through the use of visual language. The aims for this module are:

• The importance of context 
• Critiquing photographs
• Understanding your audience
• Sequenced/circular narratives

Narrative Codes;

Open Structures - Often found in TV dramas, very open ended and never fully reaches a resolved end. Very little or no structure to show a begging, middle and end.

Closed Structures - The most common structure in films. A very structured story with a clear beginning middle and end. Often we are introduced to characters, a problem arises and then is solved.

Circular Structures - The start/narrative of the story relays to the end. You are introduced to the ending at the start and taken on a journey to show how you got there. (Eg Fight Club, Pulp Fiction)

Linear - A story told in chronological order, we see the story unfold as it happened it real time. The most common style for films etc.

Non-Linear - Not told in chronological order, the concept of time becomes some what irrelevant and you are shown things that may be further along in time in order to understand events that are yet to happen. (eg. 500 days of summer, eternal sunshine)



Photographers can adapt the above styles to convey there messages to the audience. This is something I will have to develop with my own ideas but to do this I will first research a mix of photographers who have adapted these techniques to there own work.


Tableau Vivant - A term borrowed from the French language meaning 'Living Picture'. A group of performances re enacting an event throughout time. The term has been adopted by photographers who create single images that are used to portray a message. The image often contains vast amounts of people in costume and can be very complicated productions.

Red Saunders - Recreates significant events in England adapting Tableau Vivant. They all took place before the invention of the camera and he re enacts scenes that would not have been painted due to higher powers not wanting to document certain events that would undermine there authority or show that they were unpopular. They have a very strong political viewpoint.

Dina Goldstin - Fall off the princesses
A series of photos that depict disney characters in very modern day scenarios. A rather comical set in which she says 'The happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues.