Visiting the International Center of Photography was incredibly exciting for me because of my love for photography. I had trouble, however, with the questions about each photograph's meaning. I recalled what I read in Camera Lucida about Barthes' "desperate resistance to any reductive system." I do intellectually understand "how" to interpret a photograph, but I don't always feel that analyzing and dissecting each image is a beneficial or necessary process. It seems to take away from the photo to say that it "means this" or "represents that." I sometimes feel that the act of explaining the meaning behind a photograph is the best way the observer can understand the feelings that the image may provoke within them. Artwork in general can be overwhelmingly powerful to the point that words can no longer make clear the feeling that the piece instills in its viewers. It may be that just appreciating and absorbing the artwork is a more difficult task than explaining or "understanding" it.

I was struck by many of the photographs, but I don't know that my explanation of the feeling that each image created is necessary. I think the artwork is "doing it's job" if it's creating any powerful response within the onlooker. The trip to the museum also helped me to understand many of the points Barthes' addresses in Part I of Camera Lucida. I started to notice what each photo's "punctum" was for me, and realized what he meant when he said that the "punctum" doesn't have to  be particularly significant, but it simply has to be something that stays with and impacts the viewer. I also realized what he meant when he said that many photos have "studium," because even though I could like the photos, I didn't necessarily feel impacted by them such as Wood's photo of the My Lai Massacre. Although I thought that it was upsetting to see so many dead bodies, nothing particularly "stuck" with me about the photo. On the other hand, Wood's photograph of the dead eagle really struck something inside me. I recognized that this photo could have many political meanings, but I was more impacted by the simplistic portrayal of death in this photo as opposed to the more elaborate portrayal of death and violence in My Lai Massacre. Aside from the comparison of these two images, the rest of Wood's photographs didn't really leave a lasting impression. Because of my ability to be heavily impacted by one of this artist's pieces while remaining relatively neutral towards the others helped me to see what Barthes was saying about his inability to find "his photographer." 

I think the ability to experience photography after having read some of Barthes' insights allowed me to get more out of this visit. This new perspective on one of my absolute favorite art forms, I think, has helped me to grow in my understanding and knowledge about photography and all it has the capacity to do. Discovering new methods of observing artwork is incredibly helpful in understanding more about oneself and why art is such a significant part of culture around the world.