Photography Research

As an alternative to searching with keywords, you could start with a photo magazine and browse around. If you struggle with word choice and keywords when searching, this visual method of discovery/inspiration could be just what you need!

Try one of the journals below, or search for your favorite magazine/journal by title!

OWL Purdue Citation Manual
Scroll through the different types of resources to make sure you're citing the specific kind of book, article, etc. that you're using

MLA Citations by Format
Citation formatting and examples from the source!

Lesley's Guide to Citing and Captioning Images
You cite the artwork itself, and then cite where you found it (book, online, magazine, etc.)

Critical/Analytical Annotation:

Under the citation, include 1-3 sentences covering the basics:

• Describe the resource (book, photobook, exhibition catalog, journal article? images or just text? general info or specific?)
• Summarize the content as it relates to your research/how you'll use it (is it evidence to support your claim, just background info for context? is it more technical/practical info you need?)
• Critique the research or work (how do you know you can trust the author, are the artists established? what perspective are they coming from- a critic or a maker?)

Example (click here for a Google doc with more examples):

DeGuzmán, María. Buenas Noches, American Culture : Latina/o Aesthetics of Night. Indiana University Press, 2012. EBSCOhost, search-ebscohost-com.ezproxyles.flo.org/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip&db=cat05473a&AN=les.1401697&site=eds-live&scope=site.

This is a critical text analyzing Latina/o aesthetics across disciplines and is meant to be part of scholarly discourse on the topic of “night” imagery across art and literature in the Caribbean, Colombia, Central and South America, and the US.  There is a broad introduction with the author’s overall analysis on the topic, as well as chapters covering specific subtopics. As my research investigates night imagery in photography, this text will serve to support my claims that such imagery can be strongly tied to culture and therefore used differently by photographers around the world.  There is a chapter entirely about the perspective of queer Latinx poets and artists, which is one I hadn’t considered.  The author is Director of Latina/o Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is writing from the perspective of a literary/art critic.

Personal Annotation:

An annotation should include 1-2 sentences about each of the following:  

• Summarize the resource
• Speak to how it connects back to your work
• Evaluate it (is it reliable? What are the author’s qualifications? Is it introductory writing or written for experts? For amateur photographers or professional?). 

Annotating an Image:

• Put the citation first
• Then write a short paragraph
  • short description of the work and the artist,
  • explanation of how this work is similar/dissimilar to your own,
  • focus on how you might use this work (as comparison to your own, as inspiration for a future direction you might take, to support a certain argument you're making in a paper, etc.)