In images, the foundation that upholds the value or meaning of the image is how effectively can the photographer convey to viewers what he/she wanted to communicate or portray through the image. It is what emotions and feelings can be evoked through the moment or event the photographer is trying to capture, or in this scenario what story the photographer wanted to capture. At first glance only the man stands out in the photograph, and the he rest of the picture is then noticed. However, upon analyzing the picture more in depth, it is noted how neat and organized his desk is, and how many plaques and awards he has on the wall. Also coming from a computer savvy and technology-inclined perspective, the man’s double-monitor computer set-up can be accounted for as well. It can be understood that these background items are more then just scenery, but rather context clues. They’re context clues in the sense that they tell us about the individual in the photograph, and they give us a lot of information about him and what he may possibly do. Without these context clues, it would be extremely difficult to formulate any opinions as to who the man in the photograph is or what he does. However with them, we can develop an idea as to who the man is and what he does. A wise man once told me that you could tell a lot about a person by what he/she keep on his/her desk and how his/her office looks. In this photograph a man sits at his very detailed and organized desk with awards hanging on the wall that acknowledge his many achievement, with an accomplished and proud look on his face. Humans are visual people, and what we see affects what we believe and feel. The photograph evokes pathos in the sense of the man’s facial expression and appearance, as well as logos in the sense that the items in his office help give him credibility and tell us about him. For the sake of reference, the name of the man in the photo is John Christensen. John’s facial expression and body language appeals to the rhetorical device of pathos. His facial expression shows a smile that conveys a sense of pride in what he has done and how he is doing. As he sits back and relaxes with his arms in his chair with his arms folded and a slight smile on his face this could express that he has accomplished a big task recently, or is content with his work and his prior achievements. His body language and facial expressions are in fact context clues. As context clues they help to convey what John may be feeling about his life at this moment, and help gives credibility to the assumption that he is happy or sad. The credibility comes in when we notice the numerous awards and plaques on the wall which show time and work was put into what he has created. All the background details and objects in the portrait are what give the rhetorical device logos such a strong presence within the image. Logos is the logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction) and is also be the facts and statistics used to help support the argument. There are many forms of logic used to support the claim or support the thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. The thesis statement suggests that John’s office set up and other background objects in the photo help accreditate the fact that he is a successful entrepreneur. If you take note of the objects on his desk and the way in which his desk is organized, you can see the multiple papers and folders on the desk that show he is busy and the neatness of them convey that he is organized. Moving along to all of the plaques and awards on the wall you can see there is a degree hanging on the wall, which shows he is educated. Not just educated in a particular skill or trade, but educated in that he holds a college degree which adds even more credibility to the man in the picture. Then there are multiple objects showing his accomplishments and achievements over the course of his professional and entrepreneurial endeavors. They help to give him even more credibility and add to the nostalgic appeal of the image. Working along with the rhetorical device pathos, the achievements hanging on the wall causes one to reflect on the past, and what all happened in his past that lead to his current success. They also enhance the rhetorical device logos because they our context clues to who he is, justify the assumption of who he is, and helps add credibility to who he is. As humans we use our visual aid, which is our eyes to help us analyze and interpret things. Rather than to explain it is better for one to see. That’s what this photograph does; it allows one to see into John’s life. Rather then trying to read about all of John’s accomplishments or hear a story about all of John’s achievements and accolades, we can simply see it for ourselves by viewing the photograph and taking notice of the items hanging on his wall. The neatness and organization of his office area make it believable and justify the credibility of the part of the thesis statement that suggests that John is neat and organized. Without having to be written in a caption or explained by the photographer, John himself, or another view one can sense that John is a happy man. Through his facial expression and body language, John has shown the viewers he is happy, proud, and esteemed. The double monitor computer set-up also shows how up to date John is on recent technology and that he is just as sharp to today’s technologically driven economy and business market which gives him even more credibility as a business owner and leader. Looking at all the things around John in this photograph are visual context clues that help us piece together who John is. Society may perceive John as being a high-respected and accomplished entrepreneur after truly analyzing this photo. It would make sense that the photographer wanted to communicate this message or leave the viewer with this perception of John after taking a detailed look at the image because of the way he captured the image, and the fact he left the background of the office non-blurry like many other photographers do because they want the viewer to only focus on the main object be it a human or a particular scene/situation. Also the natural light coming through the window is also something that should be taken into account. The natural light helps to enhance the image as well as the rhetorical device pathos. Having the natural light in the photo rather then the artificial lights helps to give the image a very calm feel and look. The photographer may have been going for this look because of the nostalgic presence it brings, in similar to someone telling a story or a biography. The natural light helps to give it a feel similar to that of a documentary film. Artificial light is often used when one is doing media that is staged and not real. Where as natural light can mean that what is taking place is all natural and not staged but a realistic depiction of John’s life and who he is. The context clues in this photograph help us to understand the man in the image named John. Without the context clues, or say the photographer had taken photos of John with a blank background (or taken images of him while he wasn’t in his office), we wouldn’t be able to infer anything about him as a person and what he does for a living. From John’s body language, to his facial expression, to the neatness and organization of his desk, and to the other items in his office it is possible to formulate an assumption about who John is and what he does. The context clues also convey things about John’s past, like accomplishments. It can be determined that the photographer uses the rhetorical devices, pathos and logos; which both work to help give John credibility and also to help the viewer of the image connect with what the photographer was trying to convey. The background scenery, which was John’s office along with the way in which his office was arranged and the items in it all helped to support the photographer’s intentions with this photo. Through this image and the context clues within the image, the photographer was able to portray John as a successful and accomplished business owner with a bright future.

Work Cited

• Humphrey, Theron. John Christensen. 2012. John Christensen. Tacoma, WA.
Published by the website This Wild Idea. www.thiswildidea.com