ABSTRACT
Simply stated, the image is the product or confl uence of three components as captured within a frame. e three components can be described as subject, form, and content (Ocvirk et al., 2002, pp. 12-15). In fact, every work of art, including images, sculpture, music, literature, and dance, is comprised of these three components. Although the naming conventions used to describe them vary, it is understood that these three primary components combine to create a complete image or work of art. e subject can be defi ned as what the image is about; it is the essence or meaning of the image, and may or may not be visibly present in the image. In literature, the subject is often referred to as the theme of the work. An interest in the subject is often the reason photographers make images to begin with; as Magnum photographer David Hurn explains, “… photography is only a tool, a vehicle, for expressing or transmitting a passion in something else” (1997, pp. 29-30). As good novels or poems operate for writers, good photographs are generally a means for an artist to convey some specifi c meaning (a point or message, a theme … the reason behind the work’s existence). e subject of a photograph may range from literal to abstract; however, an abstract subject
such as “hope” or “transcendence” (or anything else which is not a noun) can only be conveyed through skillful consideration of the other two components: content and form.
