Photographic Semiotics

Kenzo Ca Sent Beau Edt Parfum Advertisement

A perfume inspired by nature's blossoms is suitably advertised with a photograph of a blossom.

Arborday.org Nature Explore Club PSA

The Nature Explore Club urges parents to show their children the wonders of nature. This photograph suits this PSA well because it reveals just a small glimpse of nature's beauty; an example of the treasures one can find.

Flora's Secret gardening Magazine Spread

This spread gives the photograph a new purpose by labeling it with "better gardening."

Show & Tell . { 3 }

This advertisement is entirely photo-driven. Without the small Axe bottle in the corner, a viewer wouldn't connect it to a brand but rather see it as a witty composition (which, of course, it is har har).

Public Vs. Private

Set: Inside Private Drawers

Show & Tell . { 2 }

Public vs. Private

"Public Display Of Affection"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/yeokaiwen/3137737553/

This photographer captured a wide view of a couple kissing in public and a few onlookers laughing at them. Everyone is involved here and this action is publicly available to view.

"your heart makes me feel"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/popsongs/2242340692/

This photograph is from a series of this woman and her boyfriend. She photographs them together in very intimate private spaces, how they are in their alone time, but she posts online making it available to the public so there is slight contradiction.

A Set & A Group

Set: A Walk Through The Park

Group: Portrait Of A Boy

Show & Tell . { 1 }

Same Subject, Different Meaning

"A Pirate"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjflex/233557542/

A very affectionate, one-eyed AIDS kitty. This photograph looks like it belongs in one of those heart-breaking animal rescue commercials. The photographer actually links a donation website for a shelter with this photograph. It expresses the pain of abandoned animals and how their harsh lifestyle can affect their health. Not taken artistically, this photograph simply shows the reality of shelters and abandonment.

"Sakura went to her new home"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fofurasfelinas/945232505/

...So full of personality, so full of life. This photographer took a portrait of her new kitten, Sakura, along with writing up a short rescue story. Rather than provoking curiosity or even sadness, this photograph simply portrays the beauty of this pure white kitten with striking hazel eyes. Though the rescue factor is similar, it isn't expressed in this photograph. It's a beautiful composition with the kitten's eyes escaping from the whiteness.

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The two photographs share nearly identical formal compositions: the photographer standing above the cat, aiming from a bird's-eye view, and with the cat staring blankly straight up into the camera. Both cats' ears are erect and alert, their eyes are white open, and their stance is the same. But even so, the lack of the first cat's right eye is a clear contrast to the innocent white cat.