The meanings of photographs rely on and are influenced by context. The meanings are not contained solely within the photographs themselves and a combination of factors including the viewer’s world view, knowledge and understanding, and the context in which the image is seen. context noun the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood. the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning. meaning noun what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action   In his article ‘Photographs and Context’ Terry Barret explores the impact context has on how we read, see or interpret a photograph. He discusses the example Robert Doseneau’s photograph of a man and women in a Paris bar to demonstrate how a photograph is highly dependent on the context in which it appears. The same photograph appeared in 3 publications- as part of a photo essay on Paris cafes in a popular magazine, Le Point, in a brochure by a temperance league, and (without Doisneau’s consent), a French scandal paper with the caption “Prostitution in the Champs­Elysees.” All three presentations […]