PHOTO-VOICE – Visqual Methodbox

Capturing everyday lifeworlds

Author:
Barbara Meier

Citation:
Meier, B. (2024): Photo-Voice. Capturing everyday lifeworlds. In: VisQual Methodbox, URL: https://visqual.leibniz-ifl-projekte.de/methodbox/2023/05/03/photo-voice/

Essentials

Basics: Participants take pictures according to an instruction by the researcher.
Approach: Participants and researchers discuss the contexts of the photographs.
Audience: Photographs can be shared with a public audience.

Description

Photo Voice (also Photo-Voice, Photovoice or Photo-diary) can be described as “[…] expressing [participants’] life experience through photography […]” (Ebrahimpour et al. 2018: 216). Ebrahimpour et al. (2018) elaborate three main aims of Photo Voice: “to enable people to record and reflect their community’s strengths and concerns, […] to promote critical dialogue and knowledge about important issues through large and small group discussion of photographs, and […] to reach policymakers.” (Ebrahimpour et al. 2018: 216). Participants are perceived as voluntary co-researchers (ibid.: 217). As a key reference, Wang (1999) is often referenced, but there are also many more recent descriptions of practical adaption.

Generally, Photo Voice is based on participants taking pictures according to a certain task, mostly set by the researcher, sometimes also collaboratively. The whole process is accompanied by meetings discussing and reflecting on the pictures, the picture-taking process, and the communication of its results to a broader public (going beyond an academic circle), for instance in form of an exhibition. Photo Voice is often set within Participatory Action Research-contexts (Krieg & Roberts 2009) as the exhibition format enables to reach out to politicians and other stakeholders or/and within a post-colonial framework (see e.g. McLees 2013) as Photo Voice projects enable appropriation by the participants.

As this process is quite intense, usually the number of participants is rather low. Suprapto et al. (2020) mention a range from six to twenty-two as the maximum number of people participating (ibid.: 678). The initial instruction of the participants can encompass the task, according to which the pictures are to be taken and technical information on the camera (incl. whether it is possible to use filters or other technical possibilities for the editing of photographs). Instead of using single-use cameras, participants could also use the cameras in their smartphones; this also enables for more varied output (use of filters, small video clips or GIFs).

After taking the photographs, the printed versions are discussed, either one-to-one or in group discussions. A frequently used method in group discussions is the ‘SHOWeD method’ working along the following questions: “1. What do you see in this picture? 2. What is happening in this picture? 3. What connection does it have with your life? 4. Why is this situation created? 5. What can we do for it?” (Ebrahimpour et al. 2018: 216). Researchers as McLees (2013) rather argue for a more individual approach in the discussions (see below).

As a method in Participative Action Research (PAR), Photo Voice is rooted in a community-based approach, which generates “[…] an educational tool informed by local knowledge to influence public policy […]” (Krieg & Roberts 2009: 152). Thus, as crucial factors for the successful implementation are identified the choice of participants and determining the respective target audience (ibid.: 152). Consequently, the presentation format (exhibition, digital) should be considered (ibid: 156). In the frame of PAR, Photo Voice is perceived as an explicitly political tool: “Photovoice proved to be an effective means of shifting the local power balance, encouraging ordinary people to become advocates of their own reality.” (Krieg & Roberts 2009: 156). In order to make use of the method as emancipatory tool, it should be reflected how the participants’ perspective can be included in the documentation and interpretation processes (ibid.: 159).

For the conception of the example discussed below, I mainly drew from McLees (2013), as her explicitly postcolonial framing of Photo Voice was very compelling in my research context. In a postcolonial approach, a Photo Voice method “[…] enables the participants to frame and articulate their experiences, rather than that being left to the colonial gaze of the researcher” (McLees 2013: 293). McLees highlights the importance of giving participants the opportunity to interpret their individual photographs, due to the cultural and historical specificity of visual images (ibid.: 289). The participants received their photographs taped in notebooks to give them the possibility to individually reflect on them and find captions for them (ibid.: 291). As the method was conducted in a participatory way, the participants were able to communicate the time they needed for this reflection process (ibid.: 291f). Photo Voice offers the chance to provide with insights in the daily life of the participants, that the physical presence of researchers might disrupt (ibid.: 292). Nonetheless, one needs to keep in mind, that the motifs shot are also already results of a reflection process. Further, Photo Voice allows the participants to appropriate the method to a certain degree and induce own dynamics (ibid 292f). Hjorth and Pink (2014) also mention that some of their participants use their social media accounts as a kind of visual diary, maybe here could also lie an opportunity for adapting a Photo Voice-related method.

In hand with a photo-voice method, ethical questions should be considered. Depending on the context, photographs might show motifs of the private sphere of the participants, illegal practices or other harmful implications (Ebrahimpour et al. 2018: 217). Thus, the photographs should be chosen by the participants or with their consent, and under the premise of their personal safety (ibid.: 217). In some cases, it might be reasonable to clarify the ownership rights of the photographs in the consent form (ibid.: 217). It is important to consider this kind of ethical issues before starting a Photo Voice-project in order to take these respective decisions deliberately. As for all participatory methodological approaches, “[…] ethics are by nature contextual, relational and dynamic, […]” (Manzo & Brightbill 2009: 37), so they need to be continuously reflected in the course of the project implementation.

Similarly to other diary-style methods, the moment of empowering participants in a Photo Voice method implies a loss of control of the researcher regarding the produced material (Watson and Leigh 2021: 145). This might lead to a high structural variety of the material depending on the context of the individual participant (ibid.: 145). Krieg and Roberts (2009) also indicate to the considerable amount of organizational work for the researcher(s) and the crucial role of finances (for technical equipment, travel expenses of participants and other amenities for the participants as offering food or childcare during meetings etc.) (ibid.: 158). These limitations set by available funding and the size of the research team need to be considered when conceptualizing a Photo Voice project. Also, on the side of the participants, it needs to be kept in mind, that such a project requires time resources and commitment, which might become conflictual with other responsibilities (ibid.: 158).

Procedure

It is important to make sure to recruit participants that feel committed to the project to some extent. Besides, the concrete conception of a photo voice project depends a lot on the respective research interest as well as the available resources regarding time and funding. The description here is based on my implementation of the method according to McLees (2013).

Step 1: Acquiring motivated participants;
Step 2: Handing out cameras and providing with technical information on the use of the respective model; Giving a clear instruction for the photographs to be taken (thematically but also the number of pictures aspired and the date for collecting the cameras), being approachable during the picture-taking period;
Step 3: After a set time frame collecting the cameras, printing the pictures;
Step 4: Gluing the photographs into small notebooks, handing them back to the participants with the task to find captions for the photographs
Step 5: Going into deeper (single or group) discussion on the photographs with the captions, identifying broader issues addressed in the photographs;
Step 6: Exhibition of (in a group process selected) photographs.

Requirements

Interested participants.
The time frame depends on the research setting, the number of participants, reflecting on modalities and funding for the exhibition of the results.
It is reasonable to plan some extra time as participants might not always be available due to personal duties.
Depending on the concrete conception, a photo editing software might be useful.

Evaluation

Photo Voice is explicitly used in order to address politicians and other practitioners with the needs of marginalised communities (see Krieg & Roberts 2009). Also, in contexts sensitive towards power hierarchies in research processes, as in post-colonial research, Photo Voice can be applied, offering a moment of articulation for maginalised voices unfiltered by a researcher (see McLees 2013); often it is applied in contexts of marginalised communities, whereby its visual character makes it accessible also for illiterate persons (see e. g. McLees 2013).

Especially for a single researcher, conducting a Photo Voice-project is quite time intense regarding processes of moderation and organisation (staying in touch with the participants, handing out and collecting cameras, providing with printouts, organizing group discussion(s) and an exhibition).

Regarding costs, single-use cameras and printouts of the pictures taken can be (depending on the number of participants) realized easily within the budget for material expenses also within smaller research project; the costs for an exhibition and connected transportation costs for the participants might be more critical.

Example

In the following, I introduce a Photo Voice project with students in Kyrgyzstan, which I implemented as part of my PhD-research. The idea was to grasp aspirations and dreams of students for becoming mobile in their everyday livelihoods. Photo Voice was a compelling option, as it enabled an emancipatory moment in my research. Additionally, it was an appealing factor that the method would enable me to include photographs of the participants in the printed outcome of my research to generate a direct, affective participant-reader resonance. This is otherwise hard to achieve, due to the structural regulations for PhD-projects in terms of authorship, etc. The visual output in form of photographs was especially appealing, as “photos have the capacity to bring textures, surfaces and the sensory experiences they evoke right up close to the reader: they both invoke embodied reactions and offer routes by which, via our own memories and subjectivities, we might anticipate what it feels like to be in another place” (Pink 2009: 136). So, I found Photo Voice an enriching opportunity to include photographs as multisensorial elements in my research.

The Photo Voice project was (partially) conducted during my longest field stay of five months in Kyrgyzstan. In total, I handed out twelve single-use cameras in four cities in Kyrgyzstan; seven of them were returned to me. The task I formulated (mostly in Russian language) was: Take pictures describing your everyday life as a student. This could be persons, places, things – whatever motifs the students desired to shoot. I asked to take about 20 photographs but offered that they could also do all possible 27 if desired. In this step, I also mentioned the possibility of a common exhibition in Bishkek, depending on the project’s foregoing. Some of the cameras returned to me had full films, but in most cases the students were lacking time to take the aspired 20 photographs, so in general there were less pictures taken on the films.

In a next step, the students received their printed photographs glued in notebooks with the task to find captions for their photographs. At that point, some troubles occurred as some participants were about to leave the country for summer mobility. Two notebooks with captions and one with partial captions were returned to me. Unfortunately, time was already running out as the students were on the move for their various summer mobilities and my research stay also faced its end. This meant that deeper discussions of the photographs were unfortunately not possible as well as the realization of an exhibition.

I used simple single-use cameras which can be found at drugstores. My consideration was that the participants would feel more committed to hand the material cameras back to me, instead of sending digital photographs taken with smart phone cameras. A material camera would remind them more of their ‘mission’, whereas the daily use of their smartphone might rather be distractive. Additionally, some of the students participating were caught by the analog photography, which they framed as something ‘hip’ or unusual and interesting. Unfortunately, I only learned during the printing process that the quality of films in such single-use cameras is quite poor and many of the photographs taken were underexposed.

Generally, I wanted to organize an exhibition together with the students. Unfortunately, my funding was limited and, the more pressing problem, we ran out of time as the students were already heading for summer mobilities and my research stay was about to end as well. But at least I was able to give almost all participants printed versions of their photographs. And I am planning to use some of the photographs in my PhD dissertation.

Example of a participant’s photo (Source: B. Meier)

Regarding obstacles, I experienced challenges to find facilities in Bishkek to print analog photographs and mobility was an issue as the participants were spread across several cities. I also underestimated the effort and the financial resources needed for the implementation of an exhibition.

My conclusion is that conducting a Photo Voice project as a single researcher in various places definitely takes a lot more time than I assumed when conceptualizing it.

Useful Ressources

Suggested Tools

single-use cameras or smartphone cameras,
facilities for printing the photographs,
possibilities for photo exhibitions (in an exhibition space or/and online)

References

Ebrahimpour, F., Esmaeli, M., Varaei, S. (2018): Photovoice: Method of Data Collection in Qualitative Research. Nurse Practice Today: 216–18.

Hjorth, L. & Pink, S. (2014): New Visualities and the Digital Wayfarer: Reconceptualizing Camera Phone Photography and Locative Media. Mobile Media & Communication 2 (1): 40–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157913505257

Krieg, B., & Roberts, L. (2009): Photovoice. Insights into Marginalisation through a ‘Community Lense’ in Saskatchewan, Canada. In: Kindon, S., Pain, R., Kesby, M. (eds.): Participatory Action Research Approaches and Methods: Connecting People, Participation and Place. London, Routledge: 150-59.

Manzo, L. C. & Brightbill, N. (2009): Towards a Participatory Ethics. In: Kindon, S., Pain, R., Kesby, M. (eds.): Participatory Action Research Approaches and Methods: Connecting People, Participation and Place. London, Routledge: 33-40.

McLees, L. (2013): A Postcolonial Approach to Urban Studies: Interviews, Mental Maps, and Photo Voices on the Urban Farms of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The Professional Geographer Vol. 65 No. 2: 283–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2012.679449

Pink, S. (2009): Doing Sensory Ethnography. London / Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Suprapto, N., Sunarti, T., Suliyanah, S., Wulandari, D., Hidayaatullaah, H. N., Adam, A. S., and Mubarok, H. (2020): A Systematic Review of Photovoice as Participatory Action Research Strategies. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) 9 (3): 675-683. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v9i3.20581

Watson, B., & Leigh, J. (2021): Using Photo Diaries as an Inclusive Method to Explore Information Experiences in Higher Education. In: Cao, X. & Henderson, E. F. (eds.): Exploring Diary Methods in Higher Education Research. Opportunities, Choices and Challenges. London/New York, Routledge: 145-160.

Wang, C. C. (1999): Photovoice: a participatory action research strategy applied to women’s health. Journal of Womens Health, 8(2): 185-92. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.1999.8.185