Abstract
Rapid advances in computer and internet technologies have enabled the ubiquity of photographic images because of the speed at which images can be created, altered, duplicated, disseminated, shared, and consumed. ‘Images are ‘everywhere’. They permeate our academic work, everyday lives, conversations and dreams’. These advances in computer technology have introduced a variety of modes of consumption for images many of which are intrinsically linked to particular communication technologies. There has been a shift from traditional print based media such as books, magazines, and newspapers toward computer-based communications using an ever-growing array of devices. It is within these environments that the photographic image is deployed as a communication aid. This paper explores the significance of images now as elements of communication within the rapidly changing online environment through a phenomenological lens and a mixed methods approach. Opinions have been sought from two sample groups: visual communication professionals and students, about whether or not their apprehension or visual comprehension of photographic images is affected by the medium of communication, specifically comparing print and online formats. Are we becoming blinded to the reading of images because of excessive image intake? Perhaps we have become more sensitised and selective in what we choose to engage with and visual literacy is becoming more sophisticated. This paper’s scope is limited to a comparison of subjects’ responses to two-dimensional photographic images within the Australian Geographic website and the Australian Geographic magazine.
Presenters
Thomas MarottaLecturer, Creative Industries, University of Technology Sydney (UTS College), New South Wales, Australia
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Visual Literacy, Image Consumption, Computer Technology, Visual Communication, Print Media
