The essay identifies some of the cognitive processes underlying the appeal of photography and film. Unlike painting or drawing, the photographic media are primarily indexical, with the implied physical connection between object and image. Like painting however, photographic media are also iconic,… read more
The unique visual appeal of photography results from combining the basically iconic code (resemblance between image and referent) with indexicality. Photography is indexical insofar as the represented object is “imprinted” by light and the chemical (or electronic) process on the image, creating a… read more