Subject Overview

(week 1)

Photographic Communication

Prepared By: Isdananto Oktianur, MA

The role of Photography in Communication

Why we need photography ?

visual language
• It is often more effective to convey your message through
pictures than words.

• The camera becomes tool to communicate effectively in visual

language which, can be POWERFUL than WORDS

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What photographs do and how they communicate ?

Universal language

Photography is highly effective communication method because it can be

understood across the world, all nations, all cultures , and all languages.

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Through out the semester we begin our exploration of what
photographs do and how they communicate.

The key term of exploring & analyzing photographs are

SUBJECT MATTER & SUBJECT

“ The essential nature of photographs is that they

transform Subject Matter into Subject”

SUBJECT MATTER: Subject matter is what is physically in a photograph

SUBJECT : Subject is the meaning or overall idea that can be derived from
the visual relationship of the subject matter in a photograph.

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 Subject Matter :

The subject matter of the

photograph shows
a struggling mother with her two
children.
Subject :

The subject or the idea

that this
is communicated is great
Poverty
Hunger
Well known photo “Migrant
Mother” Desperate
California Great Depression 1936
Photographed By Doretha Lange
Hopeless

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Example of SUBJECT MATTER and SUBJECT

What is subject matter ?

Starving boy with vulture bird

What is the Subject ?

The idea want to be delivered is

Suffering, desperation, surviving,
Poverty, world problems.

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 SUBJECT MATTER ?

SUBJECT ?

“Desperation of starving boy”

Photographed by Kevin Carter

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 Subject matter & subject are applied
to all Photography genre

Corporate
Photography

Fashion Photography

Advertising
Photography

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Landscape Portrait
Photography Photography

Photojournalism

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Photographic communication media are produced are
using a common set of steps:

•Designing the message ( Idea )

• Recording the Image ( Taking pictures )

• Reproducing the message ( Edit & Print )

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 Learning Objectives :

 Acknowledging the needs of PHOTOGRAPHY in COMMUNICATION.

What photographs do and how they communicate
( By defining subject matter & Subject )

 Improve our photographic skills & academic approach to visual communication

by using theory, method & practice from multiple genres such as strategic branding
research and project.

 How we understand and make a photograph beyond a simple snapshot.

We will explore elements of composition, framing, vantage point and proximity,
as well as the basics of visual storytelling.

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Study Overview week 1 – week 14 :

 Acknowledging the needs of photography in communication,

What photographs do and how they communicate.
Define subject matter and subject.

To achieve our ability to understand the role of photography

in communication We need to go back from the start and
learn step by step the history, Aesthetic, philosophy and
technique.

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Acknowledging the history of Photography
eg : Brief history of of photography
(the invention of photography, camera obscura, analog & digital)

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Introduction Photography tools
eg : Cameras, Lens, accessories ,lights etc

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 High / low shutter
speed
How to work with natural lights & exposure Small / Large Aperture
eg : working with natural lights, focus and Exposure Under / Over
using light meter exposure

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 Framing
Leading
 Photographic composition, angle of view Lines
Point of view
 and shot size etc. Symmetry
Layering

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 Exploring Creative Exposure: Panning Technique
Zooming Effect
Long Exposure

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Acknowledging how to work with natural lights & exposure
eg : working with natural lights, focus and Exposure using light meter

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Acknowledging F-Stops. Depth-of-Field and how it relates to subject sharpness.
eg : Exploring Depth of field technique

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Learning Environment :

Learning by doing in and out door practice

Assignments, presentations and
methods are followed By practical experiments and exercises.

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The Power of Photography in communication:

“A picture tells thousands words”

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Fact : HUMANS PROCESS IMAGES
60.000 X FASTER THAN WORDS.

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 Well Done!!
See you soon….

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