1. What sort of document is it? 

You have to introduce the document.      

Always start with the nature of the document:         

The document is ....    

• une image : a picture
• une publicité : an ad / an advertisement
• une affiche : a poster
• un panneau : a billboard
• une peinture : a painting
• une illustration : an illustration
• une photo : a photo / photograph
• une photo argentique (sur pellicule) : an analog picture / photo
• une photo numérique : a digital picture / photo
• un dessin : a drawing
• un croquis : a sketch
• un dessin humoristique : a cartoon
• un schéma : a diagram
• un graphique : a chart
• une nature morte : a still life
• un portrait : a portrait
• un autoportrait : a self-portrait (autoportrait photographique : selfie)
• une gravure : an engraving
• une carte : a map
• une peinture à l’huile : an oil painting
• une aquarelle : a watercolor
• une capture d’écran : a screenshot
• une image fixe (extraite d’une vidéo ou d’un film) : a still
• une icône : an icon
• une miniature (sur le web) : a thumbnail
• un vitrail : a stained glass window

You can also use one of these sentences to introduce the document:

• On this ...., we can see… : Sur ce/cette/cet .........., on peut voir…
• This picture shows… : Cette image montre...
• The scene takes place in… : La scène se déroule à (lieu) / la scène se déroule en (date)
• This document dates from… : Ce document date de...
• This photo was taken by… : Cette photo a été prise par...
• This document was published in… : Ce document a été publié dans...
• This painting is exhibited at… : Cette peinture est exposée à....
• This document was painted by...: Ce document a été peint par ....
• This sketch was drawn by… : Ce croquis a été dessiné par...
• This picture is a still shot from… : Cette image est un plan fixe issu de…

Is there a slogan, a caption, a logo or a brand associated with the document?

A slogan is a promotional phrase, a motto.

A caption is words underneath a document to explain what it is.

A logo is the symbol of a company.

A brand is a make, a trademark, the name of a company.   

2.  What are the elements composing the document? 

Give the main elements.

Can you see people? objects? animals?

This document is a painting on which we can only see two big crabs on a green background.  

You will also have to speak about the colours and the aspect of the document: 

• noir et blanc : black and white
• couleurs vives : bright colors, vivid colors
• sombre, foncé : dark
• clair : light
• flou : blurry
• net : sharp
• abîmé : damaged
• usé : worn-out
• délavé : washed-out, faded
• tons pastel : pastel colors
• nuances : shades
• basse / haute définition : low / high definition

3.  What does the document show?

Be precise and situate the different elements using the following expressions: 

In the foreground, middleground and background parlent du 1er, 2ème et arrière plan, donc la profondeur de l'image.

Sur l'axe vertical, on parle de top, middle et bottom.

Sur l'axe horizontal, de left, center, et right.

As-tu remarqué que les prépositions ne sont jamais les mêmes et qu'elles sont différentes du français : il faut donc bien apprendre le complément en entier !!

Si l'on veut  donner plusieurs informations à la fois, on peut les séparer par une virgule :

In the background, at the top, I can see ....

Attention à l'expression :"In the top left-hand corner", "In the bottom right-hand corner" à bien utiliser dans cet ordre là.

4.  What is the goal / the aim of the document? What is the author's intention?

• to give information about something: donner une information à propose de quelque chose
• to inform people: d'informer les gens
• to criticize something: de critiquer quelque chose
• to represent: représenter
• to describe: décrire
• to denounce: dénoncer
• to make fun of: se moquer de
• to depict: dépeindre
• to evoke, to refer to: évoquer
• to romanticize: romancer
• to glorify: glorifier

5.  What do you think about the document? 

What is your personal reaction when seeing it?

How do you feel about it? Do you agree with it? disagree with it?

• beau : beautiful
• joli : pretty, nice
• mignon : cute
• adorable : lovely
• amusant, drôle : fun, funny
• joyeux : happy, cheerful
• réconfortant : comforting
• attendrissant : touching
• incroyable : unbelievable, amazing
• intéressant : interesting
• laid : ugly
• horrible : awful, horrific
• effrayant : scary, frightening, creepy
• choquant : shocking
• triste : sad
• mal à l’aise : uncomfortable
• intriguant : intriguing
• curieux, bizarre : bizarre, weird, strange

Let's present this document! 

The document is a coloured photograph / picture which was taken in a street, at a crossroads.

In the foreground, on the right, we can see people standing on the pavement but they are not facing the camera.

It seems to be summer because everybody is wearing T-shirts, shorts and summer shoes.

In the middleground, in the centre, we can see two women, crossing the road and eating an ice-cream. A man has just walked past them and is heading to the opposite pavement. Another woman is walking from the left to the right, she also seems to be eating something.

In the background, we can see two shops with a street between them. On the right, it's a clothes shop called The Cotton Gin and on the left, it seems to be a Spa.

In the top left-hand corner, we can make out the rainbow flag, which seems to hang from electric wires across the street. It is a symbol of sexual orientation tolerance and is very common in San Fransisco. That's why we can imagine this photo was taken in California.

Exercise 1: Look at this photo and describe it

Ask someone to correct your exercise.

You can also go and check This page about this very famous painting that you can see at the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square in London.