Blog Post #7

In one day, I have seen several photographic portraits. Most of these have been in advertisements and on Facebook, but I have also seen a few in newspapers. I think the content of the portrait changes based on the context in which you see the image. Portraits on Facebook are usually not taken very seriously, and they don't have to be very good quality or show an accurate representation of someone. Advertisements usually idealize the person or situation in the photograph, and while people usually pay attention to advertisements, they expect a certain degree of enhancement in the photos. On the other hand, people expect the portraits in the news to accurately present what the person looks like. The intents of each type of photo are very different. Facebook portraits are usually meant to be viewed by friends of the person in the photo. They are usually posted by the person in the photo as well. It's an informal type of atmosphere, so most of the portraits tend to have a fun and causal feel. The intent of advertisements is to sell something, and in order to do so, they have to grab the viewer's attention and make the product stand out. Therefore, they tend to show beauty and perfection. The intent of the news is to inform the public, so the portraits in the news are usually of people who are well-known and relevant to a recent event in the news.