Barthes

In his article "Rhetoric of the Image" Roland Barthes uses a photograph for an advertisement for a food brand to illustrate the different messages an image contains. Just as a film is edited to project a certain message, a photograph is also posed to project a certain message. The photograph is only an image of the pasta, tomatoes, string bag, etc. and gives the presence of reality. The image is almost nostalgic in that it shows the benefits of shopping for items to prepare a home cooked meal rather than buying a frozen or pre-made meal. Even if the advertisement does not contain words, it still speaks to the viewer. Barthes writes that images without words were necessary in illiterate societies. In terms of advertising, even today, we recognize certain company logos without seeing words or the product (e.g. Nike's swoosh, Apple's apple and Starbucks' green woman logo).
There are similarities between the photograph and museum still life displays. Griffith notes that viewers realized the no matter how life like the museum still life display appeared they were only an illusion and not real when she writes about the museum displays that were popular at the turn of the 19th century. The viewer develops an imaginary relationship when viewing either the museum display or a photograph. For the museum displays it allowed the viewers to image they were standing in front of an actual scene from another culture. The photograph used in Barthes' article allows the viewer to be transported back to time when food shopping and home cooking was an everyday event.
Both the photographs and the museum displays are framed. The frame allows the viewer to focus only on what is shown - everything that is not relevant is not included. The frame allows for the viewer to study the photograph in great depth. This is no different than Tim Asch's method of breaking down frames of The Ax Fight to allow viewers to critically examine what they see.
Words, whether written or spoken, affect how we see the image. In The Ax Fight, we have a different reaction when we hear the cause is due to an incestuous relationship than we when hear it is about visiting guests demanding food without helping out. Everyone views a film, photograph or image differently. The Yanomami filmed by Ashe consider the films to be like home movies but to his students they reinforce the idea of "the other".