Visual Literacy Terminology

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Across
  1. 3. one specific portion of the visual is in sharp focus while other elements of the composition remain blurred
  2. 4. the point of focus is surrounded by space that is purposefully left empty or uncluttered; the subject usually appears vulnerable, isolated, or solitary
  3. 5. the apparent distance of the "camera" from the subject
  4. 7. lighting of a subject from above may create a romantic "halo" effect, suggesting, perhaps, purity
  5. 11. the placement of the elements of the visual in relation to one another
  6. 13. the area of a visual that appears to be in the distance and provides context for objects in the foreground
  7. 16. the area of a visual that appears closest to the viewer
  8. 19. converging parallel lines that move away from the viewer appear to converge at the horizon in the classic "vanishing point" phenomenon; railroad tracks seem to merge together at extreme distance as do the sides of roads or rivers
  9. 20. lighting the subject from behind creates silhouettes
  10. 22. the camera shows a scene from directly overhead, a very unnatural and strange angle; this angle does, however, put the audience in a godlike position, looking down on the action.
  11. 23. a detailed shot usually showing just the head or a small, significant object; used largely to isolate a subject from the setting and from all other details so that the viewer will pay attention only to that point of focus
  12. 24. the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears in focus; the amount of distance between the nearest and farthest objects that appear in acceptably sharp focus in a photograph. When everything is in focus a photographic image is described as having a wide depth of field; when the flower and vase in the centre is in sharp focus while the chairs around the table and kitchen are blurred, you are seeing a narrow depth of field.
Down
  1. 1. every element of the background and foreground remains in sharp focus
  2. 2. the camera "looks" up at the subject; often used to give the figure a dominate and powerful presence--the audience is made to feel submissive, fearful, or insecure
  3. 6. a frame (within the frame of the visual), such as a window or a doorway, limits the point of focus, symbolically suggesting entrapment, protection, or isolation
  4. 8. lighting of the subject from below makes the point of focus sinister and threatening
  5. 9. the camera is at eye level and on the same plane as the subject-a neutral shot
  6. 10. the figure is framed from (approximately) the waist up
  7. 12. a point of focus is half-lit, the other half in darkness; the photographer/filmmaker may be suggesting a certain ambiguity, or perhaps a psychological self-division
  8. 14. the camera "looks" down on the subject; the point of focus often gets "swallowed up" by the setting-metaphorically, the point of focus may seem insignificant
  9. 15. the "camera's" angle of view relative to the subject
  10. 17. a panoramic view of an exterior location, photographed from a great distance, often as far as a quarter-mile away; the human figure is barely visible or not visible at all
  11. 18. the camera is positioned at a high angle from a diagonal in the "ceiling" (or, where a ceiling would be); this angle suggests omniscience, a moment of great contemplation of decision--often held for an extended period of time
  12. 21. singles out a portion of the body or isolates a detail, often used for symbolic purposes to reinforce the significance of an object; may also be used to intensify an emotion or emotional state
  13. 23. the camera is tilted (i.e. is not placed horizontal to floor level) to suggest imbalance, transition and instability; the world may be considered "out of joint"