Photography - Roland Barthes- Camera Lucida

**Sarah Carroll** · 12-Nov-2005, 10:09

I need help for a uni project, I have been asked to summarise Roland Barthes book called Camera Lucida, can anyone offer any insights or help in any way ?

**adrian tyler** · 12-Nov-2005, 10:16

what did you think of the book sarah

**Dominique Cesari** · 12-Nov-2005, 12:06

a review by Elsa Dorfmann :
http://elsa.photo.net/barthes.htm

**paulr** · 12-Nov-2005, 12:37

I had a hard time getting all the way through the book, because Barthes annoys me.

Given that limitation, and whatever prejudice it implies, I'll toss out these observations:

Bathes is a cultural critic, and sees the whole of photography very narrowly from his particular point of view.

He is interested only in a certain range of pictures, all of them of people. Pictures of other subjects don't even show up on his radar.

Barthes is highly literate in social history, fashion, and literary criticism (at least in conventions that were mainstream up to the 60s or so). He is not visually literate.

As he freely admits, he knows nothing about the medium of phtotography itself.

The book is mostly of value, it seems to me, as a personal investigation of why some pictures move him and others don't. It reveals more about him than it does about the medium. The more you have in common with Barthes the man, the more I suspect his essay will interest you.

As far as a summary of the book, I'm assuming you read it. If not, just get on with it. It's skinny.

**Jim Rhoades** · 13-Nov-2005, 09:09

Holy cow. This is the first time I ever agreed with paulr 100%. Ooops, 99%. It's skinny and boring.

**Sarah Carroll** · 13-Nov-2005, 13:43

I found it very hard to read, my mind kept wandering what was for tea. I know its short but it seems so boring and inappropriate to my work. All I can remember is its all about the 'stadium' and being 'pricked' ?????? But I guess I will have to try and read it again, thanks for all your help !

**jim Ryder** · 13-Nov-2005, 15:36

Read the part about his mother again. Then find pictures of your mother when she was your age and of your grandmother when she was old and when she was your age. "This once was" if memory serves. Perhaps you can write a paper just on your reaction to that part of his book, be spontaneous, emotive and creative in your writing about what you feel when you read him and look at pictures. I hope his comments on what is and what was change your perception of photography and reality and your mother. Barthes is concerned with the revelation of the very true through and in photography. Good luck and you are a lucky to be able to study and react to this material.

**sharktooth** · 21-Jul-2021, 21:06

Jamie Windsor has several good photography related YouTube videos. I found this one about Roland Barthes' Camera Lucidia very interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P15OTM3E97s