Step 5 – Option to Choose Photos for Sharing

By Diana Nazareth?

Step 5 of the Photovoice Path involves sharing photos taken by participants. This step is crucial because it empowers participants to express their perspectives and experiences visually.??

From March to May of 2024, I facilitated a 5-week, online, asynchronous photovoice-inspired project funded by Autism Ontario, the province’s leading source of information and referral on autism and one of the largest collective voices representing the autism community. Our pilot project aimed to give our participants, autistic youth ages 11-17 years old, an opportunity to reflect on their community's strengths and concerns, as well as promote dialogue and important viewpoints through discussions around their photographs. The program’s theme was centered around “community” and how it could be defined by the participants who lived in various parts of southern Ontario, Canada. The program was a success and, as a facilitator, I never cease to be amazed at the transformations we all make – as facilitators, administrators, and participants – when engaged in the photovoice method.?

The participants were asked to explore the following questions:?

• What is your community like???
• Why is community important to you??
• What are your hopes and dreams for your community???

I began by summarizing the history and purpose of photovoice and highlighted that it is a method where they could use photography to express their perspectives, experiences, and feelings. Regarding themes, I informed participants that they could interpret the theme as they saw fit. I also encouraged them to explore the sub-themes of identity, emotions, or any other topic relevant to their lives.??

?In the first two sessions, I provided basic photography skills training and covered photographic techniques such as composition, lighting, and framing. The participants used their smartphones and already knew how to operate them sufficiently for this program. Over the next three weeks, participants engaged in fieldwork – exploring their surroundings, visiting places, and capturing photos related to the theme. I encouraged them to take candid shots, self-portraits, and images that evoke emotions we could then share with each other. We reflected on the visual storytelling aspect of their images, and noted how it fostered empathy and connection among us.?

Each week, participants were given a photo-taking assignment and then instructed to upload their photos and captions to Padlet, a digital communications platform?that made the process of sharing our photos very engaging and fun! With Padlet, we were able to easily upload our words and images from our smartphones. Participants were asked to upload one to three photos each week that resonated with them, accompanied by short narratives or captions for those images. Their narratives could be personal stories, reflections, or messages they wanted to convey. At the end of each weekly session, participants were invited to share their selected photos and narratives in “real time” with the group, and were encouraged to express any emotions, memories, and meanings behind each image. Active listening and empathy were encouraged.?

Once the above project framework was established, we began to discuss and decide which photos we would share with the community at large. Throughout the project, I offered the group a set of thematic options from which to choose photos for sharing. The participants seemed to appreciate these guiding parameters when tasked with taking their photos in-between sessions, and also when sharing their photos with each other at the end of each online weekly session.??

1. Personal Stories: I explained to the group that they could choose to share photos that depict personal experiences, emotions, or challenges they have faced, and that their photos could assist in providing insight into their respective perspectives on the theme of community.?
2. Community Strengths: I suggested to the group that they could opt to capture images that showcase the strengths, resilience, and positive aspects of their community, and how photos like this could highlight the beauty, diversity, and unity within their respective communities. This was something the participants seemed eager to explore and share, especially since many of the participants live in rural or isolated areas or were home-schooled.?
3. Social Issues: I also added that they were free to shed light on any social issues, injustices, or inequalities present in their community, and that their images could serve as a catalyst for discussion and advocacy for positive change. However, due to the program’s length, we didn’t have enough time to explore this component of the theme. I think we would have needed at least two to three more weeks to brainstorm, discuss, and reflect, and do the fieldwork required to explore any social issues related to the theme of community.?
4. Daily Life: The participants organically engaged in discussions around their daily lives, as prompted by the images they shared each week. They seemed most excited about documenting their daily routines, activities, and interactions with family and friends.??
5. Self-Portraiture/Transformation: Some participants chose to capture photos that illustrated personal growth, transformation, or progress over time in the form of a self-portrait. We had a great conversation around the types of portraits they created and shared and how they symbolized change, empowerment, and hope for their respective futures. For this option/assignment, I encouraged them to reflect on these questions before making their self-portrait. “What makes you unique as an individual?” “What is the one thing you do every day that is different from other people?”?

For reference, here are some tips I asked the participants to consider before taking their self-portraits:?

• Think about how you want to take your self-portrait before?you take it. For example, where would you like to take it? Will you take it inside your home, or will you go outside somewhere in your community?? What will you wear???
• What will you include in your portrait? For example, if you like to paint or draw, maybe you'll include one of your drawings in your portrait???
• You may have a parent, friend or sibling take your portrait. But remember, you must direct them so that they capture your portrait exactly as you want it.??

Lessons Learned:

I found that these options for sharing photos presented a framework within which participants could contemplate the types of images they wanted to capture and caption. Sharing photos enhances dialogue, provides a creative outlet, and allows for a better understanding of lived experience. Ultimately, this step serves as a means of empowerment for participants. As a result, the participants were even more eager to share their photos and narratives with each other and the community-at-large. Equally important, these options aided and streamlined the process of selecting and compiling the images we wanted to showcase in our group exhibit.??

The program culminated in both a virtual and in-person exhibition, where the participants’ images, photo captions, and artist bios were displayed. It was a joyful event, with many family, friends, and community members in attendance.?To view the virtual exhibit, visit https://www.artsteps.com/view/660594083bb462b33e487b5f

About the Author

Diana Nazareth is a teaching artist and the founder of Project Kids & Cameras. Her photography programs for children and adults are informed by an extensive study of key progressive methods, such as Literacy Through Photography, Photovoice, and Visual Thinking Strategies. She has facilitated participatory and project-based photography workshops for more than 1,000 participants in schools, community art centers, libraries, and through community-engagement initiatives throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Currently, she is designing online photovoice-inspired programs that blend her ongoing interest in therapeutic and mindful photography methods. She received her B.A. in Communications/Photojournalism from Temple University, her Teaching Artist Certification from The University of The Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her certification in Therapeutic Photography for Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland.?@prokidscameras?

Recommended Resources for Step 5: “Option to Choose Photos for Sharing”?

Books?

• Gibson, N. (2002). Therapeutic Photography: Enhancing Self-esteem, Self-efficacy And Resilience. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.?
• Craig, C. (2009). Exploring the Self Through Photography. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.?

Blog Posts?

• Couse, J. (2018, December 3). How to Create a Community Photo Project Using PhotoVoice. Envato Tuts+. https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-run-a-photovoice-project-in-your-community--cms-32284?
• Palibroda, B., Krieg, B., & Havelock, J. (2009, March 1). A Practical Guide to Photovoice: Sharing Pictures, Telling Stories and Changing Communities. Pwhce.ca. https://photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-run-a-photovoice-project-in-your-community--cms-32284?

Websites??

• Autism Ontario. https://www.autismontario.com/?
• Autism Ontario Photovoice Project Gala: https://www.artsteps.com/view/660594083bb462b33e487b5f
• Project Kids & Cameras: https://www.projectkidsandcameras.com/

Tools?

• Padlet. https://padlet.com/??

To learn more about the Photovoice method, see PhotovoiceWorldwide’s summer and fall 2024 Professional Development Trainings and Workshops:

• Talking with Pictures: Photovoice: July 2024
• Key Themes in Photovoice Research: September 2024
• Photovoice Facilitation 101: The Basics: September 2024
• Photovoice Conference: October 16-19, 2024

Interested in mentoring in the photovoice method for yourself or your photovoice team? Email us about your interests! [email protected]