Steps for Conducting a Visual AnalysisHere are the steps for preparing to do an analysis:
1. Make a detailed inventory list of all you see in the picture. If it helps, imagine a grid with
horizontal & vertical lines superimposed upon the picture so that you actively consider every
part of the picture.
2. Note the unique compositional elements within the frame. Actively notice the picture’s
elements. How do the individual parts contribute to or distract from the picture as a whole?
3. Consider how the visual cues of color, form, depth, and movement work singly and in
combination to add interest and meaning. Note how they interact and conflict. How are the
colors used? Look for the source & direction of light in the picture. Does light come from a
natural or an artificial source? How are shapes and lines used within the frame of the image? If
there are people in the image, take notice of their eyes to see whether they are looking at or
away from the camera or are hidden from view. How is the illusion of depth achieved? Are your
eyes actively moving around the frame?
4. Look at the image in terms of the gestalt laws of similarity, proximity, continuation, and
common fate. How does the visual communication theory of gestalt contribute to the
understanding of the image?
5. Identify any iconic, indexical, and symbolic signs. What are any iconic, indexical, and symbolic
signs that can be identified in the image?
6. Think of how the 4 semiotic codes of metonymy, analogy, displaced, and condensed contribute
to its understanding.
7. Isolate any cognitive elements that may be a part of the image. How do the cognitive concepts
of memory, projection, expectation, selectivity, habituation, salience, dissonance, culture, and
words contribute to the image’s understanding?
8. Consider the purpose the work might have. Where was the picture made? What do you think is
the image’s purpose? Is it news, art, scientific, a personal snapshot, or some other type of
image? How does this influence your interpretation?
10. NOW you are ready for these perspectives:
*Historical: A determination of the importance of the work based on the medium’s time line.
*Ethical: The moral and ethical responsibilities that the producer, the subject, and the viewer of
the work have and share.
*Cultural: An analysis of the metaphors and symbols used in the work that convey meaning
within a particular society at a particular time.
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