It’s probably not hyperbole to say that digital photography has completely transformed our relationship with images. We are prodigious producers of visual imagery as much as we are voracious consumers of them. Today photos can be taken on a whim – no longer do we have to choose carefully what to photograph so we don’t run out of film. Nor do we have to wait to finish the roll and have the photos processed. Thanks to cameraphones, we pretty much have a camera handy at all times, and are able to share them online in an instant.
The ubiquitous nature of photography has inevitably influenced museum visits and visitor behaviour. When I was in the US I noticed that most of the larger institutions permitted photography in most galleries, although there are still some seemingly arbitrary rules about this (as I have noted previously and in the image caption above).
Observing what visitors photograph is thus an expanding area of enquiry. It gives a different insight into what visitors think is interesting, important, or otherwise worth documenting about their visit (see Susan Cross’ blog post on holiday snappers). I know of at least one PhD project that is using visitor photography as a primary data source, and I’ve also heard of museums mining Flickr to see what pictures of their museum people are posting online.
As well as noting what objects are the photographic ‘superstars’ in a museum, it’s also interesting to look at where (and how) people include themselves in the picture.
It seems that posing next to the objects is an important way for visitors to reaffirm to themselves and to others that yes, they were there.
Where it is permitted, photography clearly has a marked impact on visitor behaviour and the visitor experience. What are the implications? Does photographing the objects (and being photographed next to them) become more important than experiencing the object first hand? Do photographers get priority over non-photographers in getting unfettered visual access to objects? (Social norms dictate we get out of the way of a person lining up to take a photo in a way we don’t when someone is simply just looking.) What are the overall impacts and does it matter?
Hi Regan, I also find taking pictures in a museum a great sociocultural means for visitors. I did my PhD at UCL trying to explore the sociocultural means visitors use while in the galleries. Guess what?
Photographs are a pointing device. There are also for my research a performative means as it is an observable behaviour and reflective one, as people in the gallery can see u taking pictures of something. It is an indicator of interest and curiosity, an indicator of anchoring attention on something. It is really personal and social at the same time as for me, pictures are souvenirs, memories of mine which I share with others. It functions as an alternative way to ‘check-in’ and declare that you were there as you consider your presence at this place ‘interesting’ for others. I am planning on talking about it during the forthcoming international conference of Inclusive museum in Denmark. will be very interesting to see what other people think about it!