Roland Barthes’ reflections on photography were fascinating, starting with his question of “What did I care about the rules of composition of the photographic landscape, or, at the other end, about the Photograph as family rite?” It was really interesting to read about how Barthes didn’t seem to care much about the technicality of taking photographs, or with the historical/sociological contexts of a photograph. Instead, Barthes seems much more captivated with how photographs make a Spectator feel when engrossed in the subject, for example how Barthes was so amazed when he came to the realization while looking at a photograph of Napoleon’s younger brother that “I am looking at eyes that looked at the Emperor.”

I didn’t realize why he didn’t care much about the techniques of photography until he shares in chapter 4 that “I am not a photographer, not even an amateur photographer: too impatient for that.” Out of the 3 practices that Barthes says photography can be the object of, Barthes has only practiced to undergo (being the observed subject) and to look (the subject observing), but he doesn’t have experience in the practice of to do (being what he calls the Operator). Since one of Barthes’ reasons for not practicing the ‘to do’ for photography is that he is too impatient, I wonder what Barthe might think about modern day photography (how high quality cameras are easily accessible from smartphones and the photos are immediate to view or print) and if he might be more compelled to investigate the Operator experience now?