Media studies portfolio
Image analysis
When one thinks of a traditional family, one will usually visualise a mother, a father, happy well-adjusted children and every member of that family to be the same race but this is not always the case. Images can be analysed by assessing the representation, the construction of reality and the discourse that exists within the image. Representation means to look like or resemble, to stand in for someone or to represent (Shaughnessy, 2012, p75). A construction of reality refers to the image being a representation of reality and not reality itself (Shaughnessy, 2012, p36). Discourse refers to ways of understanding which are communicated through text and use of language as well as organising knowledge and social power (Shaughnessy, 2012, p478).
The above image is a representation of a family who challenge the societal norm by the members all being of different races. They are considered a blended family as the husband and wife have both been married before and have children from those previous marriages. This picture is a representation of reality. The image represents a moment in time. The image displays a construction of reality as all members of the family are posing and smiling for the picture which means the family are trying to portray a happy family image. All members of the family are sitting close together which could indicate that the family are close knit and represent family unity. The image discourse could be seen as the husband having his hand on his wife’s leg. This can be seen as a display of possession. Such a display of possession can be seen as discourse as the image was taken in a time when women have obtained equal rights and have fought for independence. In conclusion this image represents more than just a group of people sitting together on a couch.
(Jacobs, 2015)
The above image is a family portrait of the Walker family. The Walker family are portraying themselves as a happy and well-adjusted family. The image shows representation of a family day out when it is in fact a planned photoshoot. Secondly this image is a construction of reality as the family is placed in a pose. The adults are smiling to indicate a happy family and the children are sitting still with their hands in their lap to portray that they are well-behaved young children. This image is constructed because of the unnatural position of the mother. The mother is holding the two youngest children in front of her to indicate that they are young and vulnerable and she is protecting them. The oldest child is to the side and leaning on the mother indicating that she is less dependent on the mother than her siblings. The father is seated behind his family to indicate how he is the protector and patriarch of the family. The adults are wearing brown shirts and dark blue jeans and the children are all wearing the same clothes to further indicate that this image is a construction of reality.