Image Analysis – Part 2

Image analysis is the process of creating meaning out of an image. The viewer examines components of the image – such as subject, color, placement – and makes a conclusion about the “dominant impression” or overall idea or mood the image is portraying. In my previous post, I showed how an image can be analyzed through components such as background-foreground, subject, number, placement, size, color, and light. In this post, I will show how to analyze images of people, especially their facial expression and body language. I’ll be using the image below as an example.

Analyzing People in Images

Subject – The subject is the person in the image. In this image, the subject is a young business professional, or at least someone who is dressed up as a business professional. The person is male, white, about 30, physically fit, and he seems to be tall. The person is not a celebrity, a political figure, or in any other way recognizable as someone we should know. In some instances, the image draws your attention because of who the person is – a celebrity, cultural or political figure, etc. But this person seems to be a random guy in a suit. Nevertheless, he seems to be experiencing something troubling, and the image makes us have sympathy for him.

Clothing – Traditionally, clothing has indicated a person’s social status, profession, socio-economic background, cultural affiliation, personal interests, or a sense of personal style. For example, company uniforms indicate that the person is an employee; specific outfits such as a judge’s robe also indicate a profession. Meanwhile, jeans traditionally indicated labor worker (though that is not the case anymore as there are many luxury jeans as well), while suits indicated a professional class (again, not true anymore as many “professional” industries now allow more casual dress in the office).

On the basis of the suit, we can speculate a few things about the man in the image (though it risks relying on stereotypes). We may speculate that he is educated; the suit suggests a business professional, which suggests a job that requires a college degree. We may also speculate that he is somewhat financially successful. The sleek, thin laptop and the suit suggest an investment in himself, and the coffee suggests available spending money and a self-satisfied attitude that allows him to spend money on himself (though, of course, the coffee could have been free at the lobby). We may also speculate that he is hard-working or dedicated; he is using this moment of free time to perhaps check his email or respond to an urgent issue.

The suit itself is both traditional and somewhat stylish. The navy-blue or black suit is a traditional, professional color; he is not wearing orange or red. The solid color also suggests “power” and tradition, as opposed to a suit with a collage pattern. But the collar and the tie are smaller and narrower than traditional shirts and ties, and this suggests a trendy, modern look, which suggests the man is fashionable and “with the time.” His hair and beard are also somewhat non-traditional (not clean-shaven and executive-style haircut), but they are again in the contemporary fashion and even a bit sporty and athletic.

Pose – Body Position – Stance

The position of the body creates “body language,” and this pose or position or stance can be interpreted for meaning. In the image, the man is sitting down, and his attention is focused on the laptop. He is also leaning over and supporting himself with his arm. I would speculate that he has received bad news via email because the laptop suggests a communication device, and the setting suggests that something urgent has reached him and he needed to sit down anywhere he could to work things out.

Sitting – The sitting posture suggests that he is doing something important – he could not accomplish the task by standing and using his phone. Whatever is happening is something that is serious enough to make the man find a spot where he could sit and take some time to accomplish his work. He is not in a cafe or library or office, or other setting where the reading could be more casual and planned and on his terms. Something unexpected may have reached him, and this was where he could sit down and look it over.

Hand on Face – The hand on the face is the biggest indicator that something (probably something bad) has happened. He may be touching his forehead as people often do when they are stressed or confused or at a loss for words. In this way, he may be indicating that he is experiencing something inexpressible or incomprehensible, and he may be trying to relieve the stress on his forehead. He is using his arm/hand as a form of support; his head/face has sunk into his hand, and his arm is holding him up. In this way, his head suggests a kind of collapse.

Left Fist – I’m not sure how to interpret to his left fist. He could be trying to grasp on to something for support, or he could be building up some anger, or it could just be lying there with no meaning.

Shoulders – The hunched shoulders are another major indication that something bad has happened. He is not sitting up straight and tall with square shoulders. Instead, he is leaning to his right, and he is using his right arm to support himself and hold him up. It is as if the bad news depressed him and knocked him over for a few seconds.

Facial Expression – Eyes, Mouth

The person’s facial expression – particularly the expression in the eyes and mouth – provide a lot of meaning about the person’s mood and situation. As with body posture, the man’s facial expression suggests that something urgent and bad has happened.

Eyes – In a way, the eyes are the “window to the soul,” and you can see the distress in this man’s eyes. They are clearly looking at the laptop, which means that the laptop is his place of attention and the source of the feelings. The eyes are also somewhat closed. They are not wide open with hope and expectation. Instead, you can see frustration and stress. The stress is also seen on his eyebrows and forehead, which are wrinkled and bunched together.

Mouth – The man is clearly not smiling or even smirking, so his mouth is not expressing joy, laughter, or contentment. Instead, he seems to be saying “Huh!?” His mouth expresses frustration and disappointment and shock.

Other Components to Consider

Background – Color – Light – I wrote about these elements more fully in my previous blog post, so I will only briefly mention them here. The image has a lot of bright light in the background, and this contrasts with the man’s dark suit and also with the bad news he has received. The situation in the foreground contrasts and is in tension with the light of the background. The background also has linearity; the picnic tables are in a straight line and there are straight lines from the building and rooftops. This linearity contrasts with the man’s emotional state, which we can speculate is whirling about and dizzying. The coffee cup also suggests some tension and a sense of reversal. Usually, coffee helps you face the day, so it represents a positive, determined spirit. This positive, determined attitude is undermined in the image by the bad news; so the coffee cup and the suit contribute to the heartache and frustration of the scene – it’s not what the man was expecting.

Artist – In well known works of art, the identity of the artist and the artist’s technique matter. Think of Leonardo da Vinci, Van Gogh, or Picasso. Knowing something about the artist and his or her technique can help you interpret the artwork. In this image, the photographer is Andrea Piacquadio, an Italian photographer who has many photos available on Pixels. I selected this picture partially because my blog site provides royalty-free access to Pixels. According to his website, Piacquadio is very prolific and influential “microstock photographer,” but I am not familiar enough with him or his artistic style to be able to identify characteristic elements in the image that will help me understand it. Actually, the images on his website are more artistic, and they contain strong colors, visual editing, and nudity, so this image is less artistic and different from those pieces.

Style, Artistic Technique, Allusion, etc. – In addition to the artist’s specific style, we can also examine any kind of broader artistic technique that can help us understand the image. For example, some images may allude to other famous images by replicating similar poses or artistic techniques; by doing so, they also align in theme and message. I don’t see anything I can recognize in this image … except perhaps that this image is so much like many other “stock images” available on image repository sites such as Pexels.

Material of Image (Medium) – The material or medium is what the image or painting is made of. Traditionally, the material conditions of the artwork create limitations or provide unique characteristics. For example, oil-based paints on canvass are going to look more glossy, while charcoal on canvas is going to be monochromatic and rely more on shadow than color. This image is a photo, and it doesn’t look like there is any editing, so it’s pretty much representational or “realistic.” The camera is obviously high-definition, as the man in the center is in focus while the background is somewhat blurry.

Size of the Image – The size of the image influences the way we see it. Many images are now digital, so size does not influence our response very much. But some museum paintings are huge – they take up two levels and fill up the whole wall. Or, an outdoor image may be painted on a multi-level brick building or across a long wall in a public park. In these instances, the size of the image would influence the way we look at the image and respond to it. For one thing, you can’t see the whole image at once if it is too big, and you would have to get up closer and then stand further away to look at it from different perspectives.

Date and Historical Context – The date of production and the historical context at the time of production can be important because the image could be responding to or commenting on current events, or signs of the time (such as the laptop and the coffee cup) could find their way into the image. For example, Picasso’s famous painting “Guernica” depicts (and responds) to the Nazi bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Knowing some information about this specific event, and about the Nazis and the Spanish Civil War can help you understand the image.

In this image, not much stands out about contemporary professional worklife. In recent years, the economy has had several upswings and downswings, and we could use that economic history to see this young man’s long-term desire for a professional career and also perhaps the latest round of bad economic news … perhaps a bad day in the stock market, company layoffs, a broken website, problems with a report, miscommunication within his team, bad news from a client … Any of these daily events could help explain the bad news this young man is experiencing today.

Feedback – This post has demonstrated how viewers can analyze components about people – facial expression and body language – as well as a few components outside of the image that can provide contextual information. In this image, I interpreted the young man’s frustrated facial expression, focus on the laptop, body posture, and how he is leaning on his right arm to suggest that has received some bad news and that he needs to respond to it or at least read it urgently. Do you agree with this analysis? Or, do you see something different that I am missing? What is your interpretation? Post your comments and interpretation below.

Lirim Neziroski, Ph.D., MBA is an academic administrator and faculty member with expertise in instructional technology, curriculum development, assessment, and strategic planning.  Contact Lirim for resources and for speaking, consulting, and writing opportunities.