Ch.5 Reading Response

Chapter 5 describes the commercial aspect of photography, and how it is symbolic, that branding products are used by symbolic images. I know a lot of fashion brands use a specific type of photography in their editorials and ads to communicate their brand. In time, we associate a certain "feeling" with a brand. This is quite true of the Apple icon. It is simple, yet today, when anyone sees it, we know it's an Apple product. This icon is associated with simplicity, creativity, and innovation.

What I found very interesting too, was the concept of image banks and how they make a profit by providing generic images that can be used in a wide variety of contexts. It reminds me of the website Pinterest, where users can 'pin' images to different boards. In this sense, in the Pinterest community, the image that can be liked and pinned the most to different boards are deemed superior to others, much like the concept of the value of pictures for an image bank.

The chapter also mentioned the "need for photographs of high drama to get their perspective heard"- as exemplified in the Benetton case study. I remember as a kid, walking through the mall and seeing these ads. They featured women and men of all cultures and ages. It was rare to see such high-fashion photographs featuring kids my age (6-12?) And the fact that they usually seemed very candid and happy made my positive associations with the company.