Essay Sample: Analyzing Photos Rhetorically

Visual documents tend to communicate through imagery or the interaction of the image and text. Just the same way writers plan and organize their views based on rhetoric considerations; visual data works in a similar fashion. Be it an assemblage of adverts, making a website or taking a snapshot, designers are careful to ensure that their works are appealing and send a message to the audience. The ultimate success of any rhetoric analysis is to show ones understanding of how a message is being conveyed and its meaning. According to Elizabeth Angeli and Mark Pepper, through comprehending how different parts of photographic artworks, its easy to offer insights into the wholesome persuasive motives of the piece. The task seeks to critically analysis photos from classroom discussions as highlighted

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From Fig. 9.5, Presidential aspirant John Kerrys picture is a medium shot which focused on the most parts of his body and the activity that he was doing at the time the shot was taken. The pictures have two major shots which are the windsurf and John himself making it a medium shot. In fig 9.6, of President Bush and his deputy shows a full shot/Longshot camera technique as it tends to capture the wide exterior background aside from focusing on the two persons. Sara Palins fig. 9.7 is an extreme longshot technique which covers her action and at the same time the vast sea cover. President Obamas fig. 9.8 is close up as it gives the detail of his face while addressing the people

Fig. 9.5 portrays Kerry as a more outdoor person who loves sports and daring to venture into a game that many would not wish to take a chance. It further gives him a persona of a robust and fearless leader. From figure 9.6, President Bush and his deputy are out to show the people that despite their new lifestyles in Washington, they still remember that they are farmers. In an afternoon, deep into the sea with her family while putting on those clothes, fig 9.7 manifest Sara as a not so flashy person as people view her and finally, upon being made president, the up close pic of Obama in fig 9.8 and particularly that message on new energy is to pass a message that things have changed, and a new man is in charge

From Kerrys windsurfing photo, the intended message from the aspirant could have been that, even though America was going through challenges of Gulf war, health care provision, and unemployment, Kerry was the man to take them through the challenges to heydays, however, on the part of the opposition, the windsurfing photo perfectly worked to prove how unsteady Kerry was in judgements based on his previous stance on issues facing America.

Texas and Wyoming areas characterized by massive trucks tilling lands, harvesting or weeding, the photo of former president Bush and vice president Cheney in a riding a tractor in the middle of a plantation affirms that the two leaders are rangers who value farming despite their leadership positions.

Sara Palins outdoor photo in rugged clothes deep inside the sea shows an ordinary woman who is out to get her hands dirty. This might make him more appealing to the working class generation of female voters who are more confined with their office work and rarely get time to go out of their way; Sara Palin's photo reminds them what they missing

From Fig. 9.9, the huge persona represents the entity wall mart that despite the profits its made over time, its still out to squeeze that little the workers and communities get from the firm, the dilapidated tarmac road shows that the company doesnt feel concerned about the welfare of the community in the area that it operates. The people seem so frustrated and would want to run away from the frustrations.

Reference

Elizabeth Angeli & Mark Papper. Visual Rhetoric: Analyzing Visual Documents.2015. Retrieved on 7/20/1016 from: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/725/