The photograph is more than simply a snapshot in time that
mirrors reality; it is a representation of culture carefully constructed by the
person behind the lens. Photographs can depict ideologies, or systems of
belief, and can also reflect certain cultural norms and mores. Viewers
interpret these things through a process of decoding, or making sense of these
images. This can happen both on a conscious and a subconscious level. The
semiotics, or symbolic relationships, in an image also help the viewer with this
interpretation process. Some interpretations of images lift them to the status
of an icon. Sometimes, icons become so universally known and accepted that they
become easily reproduced commodities.
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