Connotations Photo Exercise

Ben Garrod, 55117
Connotations Photo Exercise
Purity - Water
Water is symbolic of purity, as it can cleanse; when we
wash with water, we are cleaning away anything ‘impure.’
Furthermore, water has significance in some religions – in
Christianity water is associated with cleansing the body
and spirit.
Furthermore, water can be classified as ‘pure’ and ‘impure.’

Water which is potable (drinkable) must be free of bacteria
and viruses in order to be safe to drink; it’s purer than
untreated water. Truly pure water would be made of only
hydrogen and oxygen, but this is very hard to come by.
Overall, the ambiguity and unreachability of truly pure water

reflects the word: what is purity? Is it ever obtainable?
Strength
The weights shown in this photo represent the physical and
mental strength that exercising requires.
Mental strength is required to start exercising; something

challenging requires strength of mind to begin. An internal
battle between the desire to be idle or to self-improve
generally takes place before the exercise even begins –
requiring great mental strength.
Physical strength is required to exercise – lifting the

weights shown requires training, patience and frustration.
Greed
Greed is represented by this vending machine; the brightly
coloured, enticing packaging of these snacks aims to sell
the product. This encourages greed; many people buy
these snacks not out of hunger or need, but desire and
greed.
The wide selection available at this vending machine

promotes consumerism; the customer buys in order to
provide profit to the company. This shows that companies
are also greedy; profits are maximised regardless of the
negative consequences on society. For example, sugar and
other unhealthy ingredients are added to these foods, in
order to improve the taste and bring the consumer back for
more.
Ben Garrod, 55117
Weakness
This is a picture of the smoking shed. Smoking is
representative of weakness: those who smoke have
followed the crowd, against their best judgement and
advice from others.
The monotone colours of this shot show singularity –

those who smoke are all in the same position of weakness:
quitting is hard! Some of those who smoke may convince
others to follow suit, and those who are trying to quit may
attempt to get others to follow; all aspects of smoking are
about the internal weakness that makes people follow the
crowd.
On the other hand, it takes great inner strength to stop

smoking and break free from cigarettes and those who
smoke around you. Strength and weakness go hand in
hand.
Wealth
The cars in this photo are representative of wealth and
prosperity. Wealth is measured by the people around you;
for example, in a developing country, having food and drink
could be considered a sign of wealth. In a developed
country (e.g. England) more money is required to be
perceived as wealthy. In England, you must be relatively
wealthy to be able to afford to keep and maintain a car.
Wealth doesn’t always have to be about money. For

example, you can be wealthy in happiness and enjoyment –
as shown by Mia in this photo. Mia’s pose shows carefree
enjoyment and non-materialistic wealth.
The brands on the cars and clothes shown in this photo

show how we are ‘branded’ by society – we must follow
convention in order to fit in. To be truly wealthy in
happiness, we need to break free from convention and
enjoy life.
Friendship
This photo represents the ease and bond between these
two friends. The arm around the boy on the right shows
that these two friends are very comfortable around each
other. We can connote that these friends would be happy to
help each other and share their problems.
Friendship is something that we strive to achieve, and this

photo shows that friendship leads to happiness. The happy
expressions on their faces show that through friendship,
we gain fulfilment in life.
Ben Garrod, 55117
Loneliness
The empty chairs in this photo are representative of the
difficulty of making friends, and loneliness that results
when you are without friends and peers. The empty chairs
may also be representative of new friendship opportunities
that await – there’s always hope that loneliness can turn to
happiness.
The empty corridor may represent a fresh start, working to

create new friends and end loneliness. The black colour of
the seats may connote the dark side of loneliness; being
lonely can isolate someone and make life empty.
The bricks represent the difficulty of escaping loneliness;

you’ve got to break free from the cycle of feeling lonely and
make new friends.
Love
This poster represents the love that people have for an
institution – in this case East Norfolk. Love for places is
often just as strong as love for people in many cases. An
example of this is leaving high school – our love of a place
and routine often shows through the sadness of leaving.
Our feelings of love often only surface when we must move
away from a place.
This poster lists reasons to love EN – representative of any

loving relationship. We only love someone because of their
attributes and personality; something sets them apart from
others.
Danger
This sign uses the colour red to alert the reader of a
‘danger.’ Furthermore, the circle with a cross is used in
many places to represent ‘no entry’ – a universally
recognised symbol.
The chain in this photo represents a physical barrier to

entry – crossing it would require an active defiance of the
rules. The chain connotes a reason for the danger;
suggesting that the ‘no entry’ is for a genuine, serious
reason.
Ben Garrod, 55117
Poverty
The person walking away from a bin represents someone
rising from poverty. Those who are suffer with severe
poverty may have to resort to looking through bins for food,
or materials which can be sold to pay to pay for food and
accommodation.
The yellow outside shell represents how people view

poverty as being difficult and tough. The darker inside of
the bin represents the pain and anguish that people suffer;
shown on the inside of those in poverty.
The curved edges of the bin represent the cyclical nature of

poverty. When someone poverty stricken, it’s very difficult
to escape, as some don’t have the education needed to get
a permanent job. Therefore, they may not be able to afford
an education and the cycle continues.
Fear
The police tape over the window represents a window of
evil opportunity that has been closed off by the police –
representative of the good in society. Good in society
always breaks through the evil.
The frame of the door represents boundaries set by police

and how society must conform. The fear of arrest by the
police sets these boundaries and keeps the peace.
The display boards in the distance represent how fear of

being made an example of (e.g. in being imprisoned) keeps
society within the good and moral boundaries.
Desire
The desire to learn is shown with these books. Books
represent knowledge – by reading them we are transferring
the knowledge from the books to our minds.
The camera angle; from a low level, shows how books are
more powerful than us. Books have the power to change
millions of views, whereas our thoughts only influence a
few.

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Ben Garrod, 55117