how to describe a visual document

 HOW TO DESCRIBE A VISUAL DOCUMENT
INTRODUCTION :
1)Nature of the document
a picture/ a postcard
a news/sports/fashion photo
a drawing/a cartoon/ a painting
an advertisement/ a poster
an illustration/a shot/a slide (une diapo)
a film still (photo de film)
a comic strip (une BD)/ a strip cartoon ( une BD courte)
a cover(une couverture)
a map
a blurb( une notice publicitaire)
 a scene from
It was drawn../painted
in black and white/in colour
It was printed (imprimé)/photocopied/ reproduced
+ tone of the document :
funny/comical/humorous/
witty ( spirituel)/ironical/satirical
old-fashioned/modern/classical/ academic
commonplace( banal)/conventional
romantic
realistic/hyperrealist/
abstract/figurative/impressionist/
surrealist
a cliché/a stereotype
2)Author
the author is known/very famous/ quite well-known (for)/ renowned (renommé)
unknown/anonymous/
an artist
a photographer
an advertiser
an illustrator/a cartoonist/a painter/
a graphic artist.
3)Dates
in the twenties( the 20s)/on the year ...../ in ........../
 to date back from  (…1943)/ to date from (1943)
 to take place/ to occur/ to happen
4)Source
to be published
it can be seen in......
it was issued in......
a book
a newspaper
a magazine
an issue( un numéro de   magazine ...)
a leaflet/ a brochure
a catalogue/ a sequence

DESCRIBING AN ICONOGRAPHIC DOCUMENT
Elements you have to describe.    What I can see?(explicite)    How those elements make me feel?(implicite)
THE LAY OUT    the setting(le décor)
the frame(le cadre)
the scene is set in/by (se situer)
to take place/ to be located in/ to be situated in...
use the prepositions and expresssions of places...
( the person) is:
-facing the photograph
-in profile
-in close up (gros plan)
- in medium close shot( close shot= plan rapproché)
-in low angle/high-angle shot (contre-plongée/plongée)
the character is seen in full shot( plan moyen/ nous voyons une partie de ses jambes)
- the picture is divided into.... parts.
- the main feature is ...( la caractéristique principale est...)
There’s a contrast between....
Symmetrical volumes
Horizontal/vertical lines.
the skyline( la ligne d’horizon)
the focal point/a striking feature ( le trait le plus frappant)
clear
blurred( flou)
to sharpen the contrast (accentuer le contrast)
to merge/blur into (se fondre dans..)
a balanced distribution (une répartition équilibré)
to stand out( ressortir)
bright
pale
dark
areas of light and shadow
harsh( crue)
vivid(vif)
soft
dim(pâle)
the play of light and shade( le jeu de l’ombre et de la lumière)
dull( terne)
warm cold colour
the photo shows/portrays...
On this picture we can see..
This is a view of..
We can clearly distinguish...
-We can make out/notice/recognize/spot
-the colours have been carefully chosen.

    Everything makes us think...
Every detail seems to indicate.
It creates/produces the impression../we’re under the impression that.../it conveys the impression that ...
What catches my attention is that.../what strikes me is that...
The whole picture conveys a feeling of (traduit un sentiment de)
It is tinted with..
We mustn’t forget the symbols.
It symbolizes../it represents.../
The characters seem to be drawn from real life.
This detail underlines(to underline= souligner) the importance of....
This implies that/suggest that ...
THE LOCATION
The elements in the setting        
THE CHARACTERS
Their clothes
their movements and position
their physical description
their feelings
    They look like +nom (ils ressemblent à)
They look+adj (ils ont l’air...)
They seem+adj
they seem to be+adj
they wear ...
they are dressed with....
they have put on...(ils ont mis...)
    

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS /INTERPRETING
-    We might conclude/ infer/ surmise/ draw/ understand/ grasp from the data that …
-    The graph seems to indicate that
-    The over-all trend would seem to point out at + noun
-    Judging by …. We can conclude that …
-    It suggests that…/ it hints that../ alludes to /implies/brings to mind/infers/ points out that..
-    It highlights/emphasizes/sheds a light on/ lay a light on/brings to the fore/ dwells on ( s’attarder sur..)
-    It discloses/ unveils/ unravels
-    It is obvious/ noticeable/ evident / conspicuous/ manifest/ apparent / distinct/ plain / for everyone to see/ for all to see/ crystal clear/ unmistakable/ glaring  that …
-     What is there for everyone to see is…/ in plain sight/ in view/
PURPOSE OF THE AUTHOR
As the author says../As the author puts it ..
In the author’s own words “…”
That point is underlined in the following statement,I quote …..
The author wants to draw the reader’s attention to …/he draws our attention to …
The text aims at convincing people that …
The author alludes to …(faire allusion à)
The author mentions that …// he makes no mention of …
As X stresses in this interview..
    The author lays emphasis on …/stresses that …./highlights that …/underlines that …
We are made to understand that …
The journalist takes into account …( prendre en compte)
He objects to …/he disapproves of …
He is critical of …
We might consider that he is prejudiced against…/biased against …
The author looks at both sides of the problem.
He is critical of …
He supports the opinion that …