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Table of Contents

1. About this section
2. Referencing images
3. Keeping a journal
4. Still images
   1. Point of view
5. Codes and signs
6. Visual codes
7. Audience and purpose
8. Stereotypes
9. Representation
10. Analysing images
11. Task
12. Copyright/Disclaimer

Still images

Human beings have been creating still images for tens of thousands of years. Look at cave art created thousands of years ago at the link below.

• In the search box in the top right-hand corner of the home page for TEDEd type 'cave art'.
• Open the link titled 'The Dawn of Art' and view the video.

http://ed.ted.com.

1

Rock art These images were etched and painted onto the walls of caves twenty to thirty thousand years ago. What purposes did they serve for the people living during this era? Researchers are not sure why these rock paintings exist. Your ideas are possibly as good as anyone else's. Some suggestions that have been put forward are: they are the work of shamans, healers, soothsayers they served as stories for children - maybe as a form of picture book they were teaching children about hunting different types of animals they are simply pieces of art for pleasure and entertainment.

Images convey a great deal of information to the viewer very quickly. By learning to read images 'critically' you can begin to look at them with an awareness of how they are constructed, or put together, and the possible effects they may have on the way people respond.

2	Still images What is a still image? An image is picture of a person, an object or an idea. It represents or 'stands' for something. It does not have to be realistic. A still image is a picture that does not move. It could be a photo, a cartoon, a painting, a sketch or a diagram.

In and out of school you will use still images as part of your research, study and leisure activities.

3

Analysing still images By learning to closely examine and analyse still images you can become a critical reader of this type of text. Why do you think this is an important skill to learn? It is important to become a critical reader of still images to understand the world better. When studying and researching you will probably view and use images. You need to be aware of their reliability, their quality and their appropriateness. Learning how to 'read' this type of text will also help you to determine if you are being misled or 'tricked' into believing something is fact when it may be opinion, or only one point of view. For example, campaigns designed to win your support and influence your opinions such as advertising or election campaigns will use still images in an attempt to arouse your emotions and win you over.

When you analyse a still image it is important to understand that it is:

• one presentation or representation of someone, a group of people, an object, a place or an idea. (You will learn about 'representation' later in this section.)
• one point of view which does not necessarily reflect all points of view
• constructed for a purpose and an audience.