Camera Lucida could probably lead to a million topics to discuss (maybe even more?)

When I opened my book I saw a little not on the corner of p 76 that said "What is meaning in terms of language" After re-reading page 76, I realize that note was clearly not for that page, but it is nonetheless a very significant topic that I cannot stop thinking about.

When I first read Camera Lucida, I read through it quickly, taking in each point as "elements of photography". However, after discussing it in class and re-reading some of it, I have a completely different perspective of this book.

In front of the camera, unless one is a complete natural in the spotlight, he or she changes. It’s normal for people to pose in front of the lens. I tend to smile, make a funny face, or just glare at the camera. A photograph captures a moment in time, and no photograph is exactly like another because time is constantly flowing. We’re constantly changing too. We’re never the same as we were when the photograph was taken.

          The class discussion in todays class absolutely blew me away with all the information and detail that Barthes was getting across in the first few pages of the book. When I initially read it, I did not find it too difficult to read aside from all the parenthetical statements he was making. However, after reviewing what we read in class, it felt like I read a different book.