Bill Clinton's speech at the DNC through Barthes' Codes

       Former President Bill Clinton's speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention left both live and TV audiences is an uproar with it's motivational tones of both hope and faith in a better future through President Obama. As Clinton once again reminded the world of just how powerful his speeches can be, TV camera crews and Photographers were all hard at work to make sure that the moment was capture in a way that fully conveyed the emotions of the night. 

       In the photo above, Clinton is seen heavily gesturing his arms as the crowd cheers in the background; the serious expression on his face clearly demonstrating the gravity of the issue at hand. 

While this photo might seems simple at first, it actually incorporates many different facets, including some found in Barthes' rule, which allow the viewer to see just what the photographer was trying to illustrate about this particular moment in time. 

       Above, Clinton is set dead center, with the light being directed at him, causing him to be the first thing our eyes go to when we first view the photo. Also, he is surrounded by, what appear to be, hundreds of cheering people who agree and are excited by what he is saying. With his hands outstretched, it appears as though he is reaching out towards the people, and the serious expression on his face shows a type of understanding of the issue they are presented with. 

       All these traits, from Clinton's erect posture, his outstretched arms, and cheering crowd paint him to be a heroic type of character, someone to be idolized by many. This can be seen when analyzing the photo through the Semic Code. The Referential Code can also be used to analyze this photo because the speaker is a former President, thus a figure of common knowledge.

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/05/13691588-bill-clinton-steps-up-to-lay-out-the-case-for-obama-democrats?lite