Punctum, Absorption, and Facingness

Punctum: an alarming detail in a photograph that is subjectively detected; different people might consider different details as punctrums. This means that the punctum is a highly private experience. (Kandutsch, 2015)

Absorption: this is portrayed when the people in a photograph are so involved, or rather absorbed, in their actions (usually simply zoning out to think) that they seem unaware of the presence of the camera. (Kandutsch, 2015)

Facingness: Unlike absorption, facingness occurs when people in the photograph are so aware of the camera that they are directly facing the lens. One might even consider the characters in the frame to pop out of their own space and violate the viewer’s. (Kandutsch, 2015)

Reference List

Kandutsch, C. E. (2015, April 15th). A Yarmouk Photograph. Retrieved from http://ctheory.net/ctheory_wp/home/