Photographs are often considered to convey subjective meaning to the observer. Even when an image documents a particular place or event, there is still room for interpretation. However, this is determined by the relationship that the image has with additional content such as text. Whether text appears within an image, is applied directly to an image, or is captioning an image, it will alter the visual rhetoric.
When text appears in a photograph’s analogue form, it denotes the context. However, by appearing in such a way, it then has the ability to create new connotations. In Lanna Apisukh’s documentary images of Astor Place Barbershop, the text provides a cultural context, but also evokes nostalgia, as often people enjoy conversation within a barbershop environment. As a result the subtle humour, conveys personality that might otherwise be missed.
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The idea that photography is part of a visual framework is interesting, as it poses questions about how an image might be received. The connotations of text ultimately affect how an image is read, leading the viewer to pre-defined conclusions. As Barthes conveys in the essay ‘The photographic message’:
“The structure of the photograph is not an isolated structure, it is in communication with at least one other structure, namely text”
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