Ethnographic image:

a matter of opacity and open to interpretation

Authors

  • Iago Porfírio Universidade Federal da Bahía (UFBA/CNPq)

Abstract

In this article, I explore the place that images occupy in ethnographic research and their use in the construction of a visual narrative from fieldwork. According to Novaes (2014), images communicate without words, however it is necessary to consider what they are conveying since there is always opacity and room for interpretation. Photography is a tool that depicts gestures and expressions from field research. It can be used as a technology to create a visual narrative, as in an ethnographic film. The working hypothesis is whether photography and film can operate as a translation of the knowledges collected in fieldwork. The text highlights the methodological use of images by the photographic and film researchers, taking as an example the ethno- graphic film Les maîtres fous (The crazy masters), by Jean Rouch (1954).

KEYWORDS:
Ethnography. Image. Visual Narrative. Ethnographic film.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Iago Porfírio, Universidade Federal da Bahía (UFBA/CNPq)

Doutorando em Comunicação e Cultura Contemporâneas pela Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA/CNPq). Pesquisador do Grupo de Pesquisa Nanook, vinculado ao Laboratório de Análise Fílmica (LAF/POSCOM/UFBA).

Published

2023-01-13