Titling

Up until this point on my project I have not really considered the use of titles. However in my last meeting with Lauren we discussed how I could possibly draw more attention to some of the subtle humor that is involved in my pictures. For example in my image of the upturned bench with the castle ruins in the background, I could call the photo “scarred ruins,” or something like that, and hopefully draw attention to what it was that I found interesting. Crina-Paula P. said in forum discussion “According to me, naming a image would only limit the endless interpretations it can have. If I look at a photo and I see its name, my thoughts and ideas are lead in that certain direction and I stop searching other ideas in that image. Yes it is true..a name of a photo makes you understand faster what the photographer meant to express in that image...but not all the people see same thing, and don't agree most of the time with the title.[3]”   This is much the way I used to think of titles, and very much the way I still think today. I don’t label most of my images with a title.  I think that when you pick a title it’s important be obscure enough that it doesn’t completely force the viewer into one mind set. “Choosing the right balance between words and images is a very tricky thing and this tightrope walk often makes me think about the power of captions and titles in photography.[2]”  However, since my work deals with a lot of the traditions of the landscapes, it is arguable whether or not my location is important.  “Sometimes the location doesn't matter, but often people want to know if those familiar mountains are the ones they know, so let the title tell the viewer where the landscape is. [1]”  Personally I don’t think the exact location is important, but something to key in the viewers to the strange relationships between the objects could be of importance.

[1] South, Helen. "Give it a Name: Choosing a Title for Your Artwork." Drawsketch - Drawing Lessons and Tutorials. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://drawsketch.about.com/cs/tipsandideas/a/namingdrawings.htm>.

[2]  "The art of the caption | eyecurious." eyecurious. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://www.eyecurious.com/art-of-the-captio/>.

[3]  "Why is the title of a photo so important?! - Photo.net Philosophy of Photography Forum." Photography community, including forums, reviews, and galleries from Photo.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://photo.net/philosophy-of-photography-forum/00J8FT>.