Topic > Book review: Sight and concentration

One of the senses possessed by human beings is sight. Sight allows humans to see things in the environment (Mertz, 89). It can also be described as vision or sight. All human beings have been granted by nature the ability to see things. This is what allows them to see and judge what to do. This, however, has been photocopied by several initiatives to create technology similar to human vision. This includes the automotive sector and even more so the photography area. Focus, on the other hand, can be described as the central point of attention or interest placed by an individual or something (Mertz, 89). Without focus, it is not possible to produce a clear visual definition of something. From the definition of sight and focus, you can see that they are related and go hand in hand. In the book Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes, it is more about explaining the imagination and the nature of human consciousness. This is seen from the conclusion of the book when the author states that “the imaginary process is based on intentionality”. The main theme represented in the book is the theme of presence and absence. The book is entirely structured on the theme of death. This is seen from the beginning as the writer speaks of death as the eidos. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay From the book, there is a relationship between presence and absence. Absence can be a kind of presence and presence can be a kind of absence. The photography used to demonstrate absence and presence in the book is believed to have some sort of direct connection to a form of presence, truth or reality. Roland Barthes is struck by the connection between the representation of absent photographs and the presence of truth in it: “what photography produces infinitely has happened only once; what cannot be repeated separately can be done by photography.” The forms represented according to Barthes by photography refer to something or someone real, but the event does not exist at all but only in the photograph. This can therefore mean that a photograph can be classified as an absent presence element. But for Barthes it is not an absolute truth because it has a subjective meaning. An assessment made by Barthes agrees on the relationship between truth and photography but in a way that thinks beyond the binaries of absence equals falsehood and presence equals truth. In writing the book Camera Lucida, Barthes illustrates photography only to make his audience believe in the past in all the inconsistencies that happen. The question he asked is: how can people see their historical lives without photography? According to him, the point at which the internal and external interaction of our relationships with photography divides the history of the entire world. Barthes says that people want their photos to match themselves even in various postures over time. This shows a notion more of self than of solid core. Whenever an individual poses for his or her photograph, the future viewer claims that the image will be beautiful. Words like “I'm beautiful” or “I'm happy” are often used. Even if a photograph can never resemble someone. Barthes says that his image never coincides with him because the image is immobile, heavy and stubborn but he himself is dispersed, light and divided. The book Camera Lucida shows interesting ways of viewing photos through punctum and Stadium. Punctum illustrates the details of the person's wound and touch that lead to a direct relationship with the person or object in the photograph (Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida, pp.27). The punctum provides a detailed explanation and punctuates the stage and disturbs it. The viewer's experience can ground the point.Studio, on the other hand illustrates the linguistic, political and cultural interpretation of photography (Camera Lucida, pp.26). Barthes identified this as the general interest of the image. The historical context can be explained to the viewer, how the photograph should be seen and where it was taken, the stage directly illustrates what the image communicates and explains its meaning to the general viewer. According to Barthes, a punctum in a photograph is an accident that stings it, but also wounds it. Many photos, however, do not sting, but only convey a polite interest because they are taken with the stadium. Barthes also illustrated the dot dot in the photograph as “The Winter Garden,” an acknowledgment meaning that “This has been” and “This will die.” The stadium expands to become the field of carefree desires and tasteless taste. For example, photos of a family posing, advertising photos and those in hotel lobbies that do little to reveal the people in them. Barthes says of the studium that what he can name he cannot prick. Barthes is able to read and identify personal and contextual elements within photography through punctum and Stadium. Her mother's family photograph stands out as the most timely; with his recent death it is always on his mind. The fact that he pours over and analyzes photographs of his mother demonstrates that Barthes has a desire to recognize and know his mother. The childhood image of his mother helps Barthes understand the relationship between death and photography. Barthes will never be able to deny that every photograph has a meaning for its referents. There is no overlap with photography on reality and the past (Roland Barthes, Camera Lucida, pp. 76). Many years have passed and now, in the garden, Barthes cannot refute his mother's presence before he can get to know her. The concept of erotic photographs was applied by Barthes to explain photographs. Eroticism is indeed important in taking the viewer out of the frame of a photograph, but it does not make the central object of vision a sexual organ. Most people think of photography as modeling and thinking rather than as a recording. This is why photography has always struggled to gain a place in art as it seems to be as simple as pressing a button to open and close a shutter. Anyone who's ever tried to force a portrait knows how it's more than a quick shot. According to Barthes “the great portrait photographers are the great mythologists”. Camera Lucida not only reflects on photography but also reflects on death. The mix of photography and death provides a perfect way that no other art offers. Barthes suggests that the past is not called by photography but the effect it produces in him is not only to restore what has been abolished by distance or time but to test what he sees as existing. The images were taken by photographers and the photographs of his mother that Barthes analyzes illustrate the relationship between death and time (Camera Lucida, pp81). Thus the photograph of “The Winter Garden” explains the reality that Barthes knew and recognized that at that moment he would die. In many cases, photography is associated with Barthes' death. Photography is one way one can experience the reality of death in today's modern world. People choose to look at photographs of those they love when they are gone. The reason is to remember them and also to feel as if they are next to them. It also refreshes memories that are gone and will not be able to return again. This is the closest you will ever get to that person who is gone. Barthes decided to focus on the neglected area of ​​society.