During a relaxing Wednesday, I had the opportunity to spend my 5-hour break in the Photographs of Marcel Sternberger: Portraits of the 20th Century exhibit at the Miskin Gallery. The walk was short and the exhibit was even shorter. Not expecting it to be so small, I had a quick glance at all of the photos and came to the verdict of my favorite two that I believe explain the real themes of photography that Roland Barthes explains in his excerpt, “Camera Lucida.”
The first theme he discussed was studium, an element that grabs your attention and general interest. It can vary from a sad image to just a color, but the photo seems to always ease your eye. Basic eye candy to the average viewer. A photograph I perceived as studium 
is the photograph of Thomas Dewey. Just the overall position of the man and the way he’s built caught my eye. He reminded me of my grandfather at a young age, which I thought was quite ironic. But, it’s studium because that’s all it did. It just merely caught my attention and seconds later I was onto the next. There was no real “pinch” or emotional tension besides the fact I thought he looked like someone. In my opinion, that’s what makes studium, a simple glance at a photograph, but no real analysis. Overall, it just didn’t have that push that I wanted and that’s what brings me to Punctum, my favorite theme in photography.
Punctum, as described by Roland Barthes, is the emotionally damage the photo does to your mindset. A photograph may grab your attention but at the same time, it 
hurts you, it makes you feel an emotion, a “pinch” as the author explains, that scars or “bruises” you. It’s that extra kick that’s more than just appealing, it’s moving. The photograph 
that stood out to me tremendously was the photo of Diego Rivera mimicking Buddha by almost rotating his eyes inward. I looked at this photo and I shivered instantly. I was afraid but more than that, I was excited. I was excited to go deeper into this photo. I had a roaring concern with why he wished to mimic Buddha in such an almost “creepy” way. It drew questions such as, “Isn’t Buddha always smiling?” and “Why does Rivera call himself “close friends” with Buddha in the description of the photo?” That’s what I believe true punctum is, questioning and powerful analysis. I looked at this photo and stopped in place, I was truly “bruised”as Barthes would say because even hours later, I’m still in utter shock and still can’t draw all the feelings I have toward this photo.
Overall, I believe the tiny exhibit of the photographs was very fun and super convenient since it was basically a block away. Despite that, the photos were utterly amazing and I had an amazing time exploring. The reading was also a good read and definitely something to keep in mind as I analyze more photos in my near future. Thank you once again for an amazing experience Professor!
Below I also included some photos that I believe describe both studium and punctum.
Studium example
Punctum Example
-Kevin Hasa
