For this post, I would like to share a visual literacy website I explored. It’s called the Online Visual Literacy Project. The site contains an overview of the importance of visual literacy as well as outlining basic elements of visuals such as hue, shape, texture, motion, and many others. One of the key things I focused on while I was exploring this site was the comments about hues or colors in images. The site didn’t offer a study, per se, but it did discuss the idea that images with color (hues) provide much more meaning than when they are only black and white. I included two pictures to illustrate examples.
The first picture of the man shows a red hue that can portray anger or a strong, negative emotion. The second picture of the woman shows a blue hue that is more calming and relaxing. Both pictures without words give a context to the viewer. As I continue reading literature on visual literacy, I am starting to see that literacy isn’t just being able to read, it’s more than that. It seems that literacy is also about understanding through a variety of methods. Visual representations can easily be a method for literacy. My driving questions now are: How does age affect visual literacy? When are images not effective? Can images be effective in black and white? Will standardized tests change based on new visual literacy research and changing technologies?
Red Hue Image from: From The Year of Living Dangerously (Australia, 1983), directed by Peter Weir
Blue Hue Image from: Gucci, 1994
Pinkel, S. (1998). What is Visual Literacy? The Online Visual Literacy Project. Available at: http://www.pomona.edu/Academics/courserelated/classprojects/Visual-lit/intro/intro.html
What are your thoughts on the use of color versus black and white?
Annette
2 comments:
Great posting Annette! I totally agree with you that color in pictures strikes an emotional connection out of people, versus black and white. I actually had this conversation with my students the other day. We have Smartboards in our classrooms, and when you don't have something on the screen, the kids see exactly what is on your computer. In this case, it was my background, which was recently changed to a calming beach scene. They noticed the change, from my winter landscape before, and asked why I had changed it, since it is still snowing here in Ohio. I told them that the new background fits my mood, since I am ready for Spring. We went on to discuss how different pictures bring out different feelings in a person, based on the subject of the picture, the colors, and the amount of activity going on in the picture.
In response to your questions about black and white pics, I do feel that black and white pics are effective too, but for a different reason. I think that black and white pics force you to focus on the object, more than the color, and it makes you develop an emotional attachment to the object in the picture, not to how the picture makes you feel. Take Ansel Adams' pictures for instance. My spare bedroom here at home is decorated in all Ansel Adams pictures, who does black and white photography. I chose this because I love the actual objects in nature that he captures in his photos. Although the aspect of color is missing, I feel connected to the object itself, because I look at it in a different light.
However, in a classroom type setting, I think using color is an attention grabber for students. I think it draws in thier minds and helps them to foucs, even if it's a topic they wouldn't normally focus on.
As far as standardized testing goes, I don't really think that it will change. At least here in Ohio; I'm not sure about in Florida. To be honest with you, I, who am not a proponent of standardized testing, feel that the state doesn't really care so much about visual literacy and the research on better teaching methods. Nor do they have the will to put more money into the testing to add color pictures, etc. That's just my opinion though. However, if they did go as far as to add color to the pics that are shown on the test, I do believe that it would make the test seem not as boring to the students.
Great article, and I love your two example pics!
Hi Annette.
I was just thinking about things as I was working out and an idea came to mind. When I used to teach the novel "Number the Stars" to sixth graders, there were some chapters where my kids had to divide their paper into four sections and write an emotion that the chapter made them feel, at the top of each square. Then they had to draw a picture, using a color that goes along with the emotion. I was just thinking....that would be great to do with kids, but use digital photos instead. Just like the pic you have posted, with the red hues. You could connect feelings to color. Just an idea!
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