Contextualizing Photography Through Everyday Writing
Figure 1 shows an Instagram post made by Prachi Misra that contextualizes a photo she took of a frog. Right away, the reader learns the purpose of the photo, as Misra explains that they were taken for a photography club. She then provides an anecdote describing the praise she received from her teacher, and the pride she felt as a result.
Standing alone, the image is simply a picture of a frog. While it is a beautiful photo, there is no other meaning except for the literal content of the image. By sharing her photography with an audience and providing anecdotal context, Misra creates new meaning for her artwork, signifying not only the importance of this photo to her, but also to her audience. It is no longer just a photo of a frog, it is a symbol of progress, appreciation and pride.
Figure 2 is a great example of why additional context is sometimes needed for artwork. The caption reads: “Guys, my mom is totally alive. I just passed this on my walk and thought it was a cool picture. Did not mean to portray anything different. Whoops!” Through this caption, it is implied that the image of the letter had been shared before, and her audience created a meaning for it that did not fit the actual context of the photo...they thought Ysabella’s mother had died. In this somewhat comical post, Ysabella debunks this false meaning by giving the true context of the image.
Both of these artifacts were published on personal social media pages. This creates intimacy between the creators and their audience, and makes the combination of artwork and everyday writing in these compositions an extension of the creator’s personal identity. Furthermore, the use of social media makes these artifacts more interactive, allowing the audience to add to the meaning of the artwork with their own contributions of everyday writing in the comment section.