A Frame Makes the Difference

By: Pranavsai Gandikota

Multimedia Content Analysis #5

The Photograph:

Man riding horse in race

First day of the horse racing season at Champ de Mars (Mauritius)

Photo by Julia Joppien on Unsplash

About the Photo:

Above is the photo of the first day at Champ de Mars by Julia Joppien, a Berlin-based photographer who likes to take photos of urban sceneries and nature, showing a particular frame of an intense horse race competition, emphasizing the speed and power of the horses and creating suspense about who's the winner.

Rhetorical Strategies:

Purpose: The image's purpose is to create a sense of excitement about who would win the competition, highlighting the competitiveness of horse racing.

Audience: Includes horse racing fans, those who follow different kinds of sports, and those who enjoy fast-paced competitive events.

Modality: There is the use of visual elements where there is a low-angled frame showing the speed with natural lighting and vibrancy, along with text such as the 1400m marker and the number of the horses shown as well.

Power Dynamics: Power dynamics are shown through the audience in the background in which jockeys hold more importance than the audience cheering them, where in our society it's the celebrities who get more attention as opposed to the audience. The majority of the racers are male, suggesting how gender may play a role in sports too. The photographer also has the power to select what to photograph and what she wants to emphasize and has access to be able to get a clear view of the event too due to the major role she plays.

Contextual Variation:

Some cultures and people may view horse racing as an exciting event showing sportsmanship and wealth such as sports enthusiasts, while others see it as a type of gambling and a risk to the horses due to potential injury to them (such as animal welfare protectors). This photo seems to focus more on the excitement and unpredictability of the race winner, which I believe is what the photographer wanted us to interpret.

Credits:

Joppien, Julia. “Man Riding Horse in Race.” Unsplash, Unsplash, 16 Feb. 2018, unsplash.com/photos/man-riding-horse-in-race-IojCPQ2rWe8.