According to Roland Barthes’ Camera Lucida, there are two main factors that allow a photograph to stand out to a viewer; studium and punctum. Studium, to summarize briefly, is the aspect of a photograph that adds interest for the viewer, while punctum is the aspect of a photograph that jumps out at the viewer and adds another level of attraction to the photograph. The difference between studium and punctum is that punctum causes a viewer to stop and reminisce on something particular in the photograph, causing great admiration for the photo, while studium just causes an overall likeliness and interest.
After reading Camera Lucida and fully understanding Barthes concepts of punctum and studium, I attended his exhibit. I was first overwhelmed with the amount of beautiful portraits in the exhibit, but as I walked around I began to notice that every set of portraits was dedicated to different people, times, and ages. I stopped and admired many portraits, but with a general fondness. I did not feel an overwhelming amount of admiration for many of the portraits, but I did adore how beautifully the photographs were taken. I understood that to me, many of these portraits demonstrated studium to me, but as I stopped to adore the photographs of Albert Einstein, I knew I was experiencing punctum through the photographs.
The photographs of Albert Einstein were absolutely breathtaking. He captures Einstein’s sense of happiness, free-will, originality, and brilliance, all into one photograph. I was truly taken back by the fact that Barthes was able to photograph a man that completely changed our world in his lifetime, and capture his true feelings and traits. I had never seen this done in a photograph before, and I knew that I was experiencing punctum through Barthes amazing work.
The photograph to the right allowed me to demonstrate Barthes concepts of studium and 
punctum. This photograph demonstrates punctum to me due to the fact that it reminds me of the times I spent in the city as a child. I recall holding my father’s hand and trying my hardest to not step on the cracks in between the pavement. Another viewer may see this photograph and experience studium because, in reality, it is simply a photograph of a sidewalk. The difference between studium and punctum is the viewer’s own personal connections with the photograph; how they feel and what they are reminded of when viewing a photograph.
