I got a lot out of Camera Lucida. Roland Barthe’s writing was fluid and rich with detail and it was easy to understand his thought process. He wanted to get to the bottom of why he liked photography. In the end, it was a picture of his mother when she was a child that seemed completely real to him, that really captured the essence of her that made him appreciate photography. He believes the experience and meaning behind a photograph, makes it good (which seems to be the opposite of what Inside the White Cube was saying). I can relate to this. Phony, staged photographs drive me crazy. It seems like everyone has their fake “picture smile.” And even if someone may seem casual, when a camera is out, people automatically pose. Barthe makes a very good point, and it’s actually pretty funny. Barthe’s picture of his mother reminds me of a picture I have of my Aunt Jane. Not many pictures were taken of her before she died, and it truly captures her unlike I have seen any photograph capture anyone. In it, she is laughing hysterically and holding her niece. The picture is kind of out of focus. That photograph alone holds more meaning for me than an entire gallery full of photographs. 

Lauren Haile