Image choice

I had a look few a few different papers (rags) to find my image, some local, some national. It was in itself a surreal experience, I cannot remember the last time I took the time to flick through a paper. My Dad used to have The Sun delivered by a paper boy, Mail on Sunday as well I believe. Seems a long time ago. I also rarely look at advertisement in any shape or form, If I want something I tend to get it, I don’t shop around as such, and I don’t consider myself to be consciously led or influenced by advertisement. But I also know I probably am. Below is a my sketch booking for this exercise.

It is firstly worth noting that this image is a full page spread and I had to cut it in half to be bale to get it in the sketchbook. I like to use this way of working when analysing things, pen and paper type scenario. Below are some bullet points that I took from the image.

• There is a genuine sense of the “everyday” person in the image, a realistic or cliche type approach
• 3 people in the frame, suggest family
• It also connotes that the third person is the daughter of the couple
• Smiling, laughing, relaxed, at ease
• Not looking at camera but a “third” person
• Diagonal line across the frame of people, again lessen tension and a more relaxed look.
• Camera angle slightly looking up, placing power in the image with the subjects
• The whole feel of the image suggest more about connotations than denotations
• Denotation being and elderly couple / family
• They are being put at ease by the company
• A feeling of “being in safe hands” and or “many being in safe hands” is being portrayed
• Use of 2 women in the frame creates a less masculine type image, again adding to the more relaxed less confrontational feel
• Of course the image is contextualised and sold with the anchoring text
• The focus of the image is on the elderly female / mother. What does this suggest? What is the meaning of this? It would suggest that the control within the family is with the female / mother. That is is she who has control or final say in important financial matters
• Unfussy hair / make up suggest that the she / the family / couple have other priorities, they are focused on the important things in life, rather than appearance
• The blur of another head remains in the image, I assume by appearance this is another male
• Highly unlikely that this would be there by chance or poor editing
• Why is the head there? I would argue that it suggests security and or a busy environment / connotes feeling of “you are not alone”
• There is something in the from of the frame which when I first looked was certain it was a wine glass, now I am not so sure what it is
• If it is a glass this would suggest celebration and the connotations we associate with this