Nick Lacey’s article focuses on providing a perspective as to how media images are used to communicate an aspect presented by the photographer. To enable the audience to understand the premise, Lacey provides a brief introduction on communication, its elements and how it is crucial to interpreting the world around us. From this approach, he takes the reader into a world of photography and elucidates how different forms of communication are embedded within photography. To understand Lacey’s approach, the aim of the current paper seeks to provide a formal analysis of the article written by Nick Lacey on “Image and Representation.”

Lacey’s main takeaway is the art of communication. Lacey believes that the art of communicating centers around the aspects of sight (5). Out of the five senses that humans possess, the strongest is from the eyes. The reason is derived from the fact that humans place hope in the sense and as a result, believe in what they see. It is often the first sensory gland that photographers use to pass on a message. “Gregory is concerned with the biological processes of perceiving the world around us” (5). Lacey determines that the best way to communicate any message is through an image. Hence, it is through the sense of sight that a person illuminates what the intended purpose of an image is.

Regarding communication, however, Lacey provokes the idea that sight is not the only concept that allows humans to understand the message being put across. The blueprint of communication lies within a channel of -sender-message-receiver (6). The channel is known as speech. According to Lacey (6), there are six contents to a message delivery that encompasses: addresser, addressee, context, message, contact, and code. The six variants are necessary for speech or a conversation to be complete. The approach to presenting how communication works allow Lacey to drive his point home. He interjects that how we perceive communication between either two people or more than two people is the same approach people use in decoding an image. “They are the sign recognizable by the society from which particular meaning is drawn” (6). In other words, it is the connection that as humans we use to understand what is presented in front of us. Therefore, Lacey emphasizes that to understand the world around, it is critical to comprehend the importance of the six factors of communication denote.

Lacey suggests that the use of normal human senses is categorical in understanding what is around us as well as what is in front of us (8). The reason is defined on the ideology that as humans recognizing an object (s) is through placing a linguistic label on it or them. By labeling the subject, there is no room for misinterpretation. Therefore, how a person interprets an image as well as analyzes, it comes from what they have learned from the world around them. As such, Lacey (8) emphasizes that senses are directly linked to the world around and that is how people can understand what an image is trying to convey.

Photographers use concepts found in the world to express and convey a particular and specific message. Photographers use the world around us to provide a greater understanding and reasoning of the culture, socio-economic concepts as well as political and individualism. Interpretation applies what comes naturally to humans, and therefore, Lacey (9) accentuates that how we perceive the society plays a significant role in how analysis of an image is conducted. It is critical that while analyzing an image, the observer has to be as neutral as possible in the denotation of an image including associating of precisely what the picture is trying to depict (9). Nonetheless, the photographer may come from different cultural backgrounds or societies, and Lacey defines that it is crucial to acknowledge such differences. The standing is that, for instance, how American view a picture may be different from how Europeans or Asians interpret from the image. As such, interpretations can be indirectly affected by experiences in a person living or who they are (10).

With the above knowledge and comprehension, Lacey indicates that the interpretation of any image relies heavily on the concept of culturally sensitive matters (12). Otherwise, when interpreting an image, it is official that six non-verbal communication factors ought to be used. They include facial expression, gaze, gestures, posture, body contact as well as clothing and appearances (12). Non-verbal cues, as Lacey determines (13) are constantly changing within a society. Thus, when defining what a message entails, it may be difficult to comprehend the actual meaning if the person is not from the culture. It is depicted that as human beings, we are continually interpreting information through our senses which gain knowledge from the environment (13). The interpretation is necessary since it allows humans to acknowledge the information presented. The particular aspect is crucial for any media student learner according to Lacey (13).

The approach in photography according to Lacey (14) is to use light to document what should be written into an image. Therefore, instead of reading words or text, we are forced to read an image. It is based on the assumption that images are naturally a mirror to the society and thus, image analysis is direct consumption of what is around. Distinguishing images that are displayed through media including film, television programs and so forth, are separated from their forms and their content. Style, according to Lacey is the referral of an image and how it was created including the positioning of a camera and how the artist takes the subject about the object. Also, the content of the image. Lacey (14) indicates that form is critical to understanding what message is being conveyed.

Assumptions may arise, and as humans, we have no choice but to deduce from the premises. However, to guide one on how to interpret an image, it is clear that framing is also another basic concept (15). Framing involves the boundary of the image and what is included within the image. Other forms including angle, height, level, distance, and lighting are crucial factors for any photographer as well as an analyst to understand what is the precise message being driven across. According to Lacey (21) by considering what is within an image from the mentioned concepts, any interpreter will be able to analyze what is within the image and its message.

Conclusion

The meaning in image interpretation is to allow production professionals to critically incorporate all the concepts presented by Nick Lacey in the article, Image, and Representation. The formal analysis has provided a synopsis of what image and interpretation entails. By inducing a code, a professional will be able to understand how photography concepts such as level, height, framing, and form can be used to denote an image or what the message is all about.

Work Cited

Lacey, Nick. Image and representation: key concepts in media studies. London: Macmillan, 1998, 1-16.

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