Photovoice
Photovoice is an interactive photography training and participatory approach, where participants are asked to create photos of changes they observe within the program with their own smartphone cameras.
Related Tools
Digital Tools
Debriefs and Sensemaking
Thematic and Content Analysis
Smartphone Photography
Inspiration
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While focusing on change agents, photovoice is able to collect insights related to personal, relational, organisational, programmatic, and community change. Participants are asked to create photographs either on a transect walk or as they go about their daily work. Photographs aim to focus on the different experiences of different types of people. The activity can be conducted remotely or in person and either on one day or spread over time.
The activity has three objectives:
- Build confidence and photography skills for participants
- Encourage participants to reflect on the status of the program
- Collect GESI-related insights as captions and photographs, and through discussions
Step 1. Recruit participants
The number of participants can vary but the activity works best with 8-12 people. Participants should have a smartphone with a photography function, be interested in learning more about taking photos, be committed to taking photos during their work over the course of the activity and be willing to share their photos with the MEL team. They will also be required to participate in the relevant workshops (1 or 2 depending on the modality).
See sample recruitment emails in the Photovoice Guidance Note
Don’t forget the Participant Information Sheet
Step 2. Orient participants
The photovoice orientation for participants has five interconnected objectives and can be conducted in a workshop:
- Introduce the concept of photovoice as a monitoring and evaluation approach
- Build the capacity and confidence of participants’ photography skills
- Introduce the concept of ethical photography
- Introduce the photo submission and selection process
- Introduce prompts through an activity to collect GESI-related photographs (difference mapping)
Explore the six-prepared orientation modules here.
Step 3. Support image creation
In person
If this step is being done in person, participants are now encouraged to go for a walk within their working areas as a way to encourage thinking differently about the challenges and opportunities. The facilitators should tag along on the transect walks and actively discuss the progress with participants. Participants may also conduct the transect walk in small groups.
Remote
If this step is being done remotely, participants are encouraged to create photos as they go about their daily work as change agents. To support them, we recommend sending 1-2 text messages to encourage them and ask if they have any questions or require any support. This can be done using whichever messaging application is common or frequently used within your context (Viber, Signal, Whatsapp, messenger, email, text message). Be sure to respond if they send you a note back. This will be determined based on the amount of time given to participants to create photos (usually 2 weeks).
See sample text messages in the Photovoice Guidance Note .
Don’t forget consent forms for your participants.
Step 4. Support image interpretation
Photo interpretation has three interconnected objectives:
- Encourage participants to share their photos with one another
- Help participants select 1-5 photographs as data for the project
- Encourage participants to create titles, captions and descriptions of their photos
This can be done online as a web conference, or through digital platform, or through a survey tool for participants to share their photos. We recommend Airtable – which can seamlessly bridge data collection, analysis and utilisation.
See a sample submission template here or explore a sample workshop agenda in the Photovoice Guidance Note.
Step 5. Utilise images
The final step is to analyse the photos and captions to identify key themes to share with relevant stakeholders. We recommend conducting sensemaking and advocacy in collaboration with the Photovoice participants.
- Compile participant scoring. Coding is completed by participants in the second workshop and can be compiled for the whole group of participants. Basic averages can be taken using Excel.
- Compile photos. A simple gallery can be put together in a PowerPoint, Padlet (online sharing platform) or Airtable (online database platform).
- Rapid photo tagging. During the debrief workshop have the analysis team tag the photos with short phrases based on form, content and context as described below. This can be done on post-its or within a digital system.
- Form – What does the photo look like? What emotions does it convey? What colours, photography techniques and layouts are used? Is it up close, or far away? In focus?
- Content – What is in the photo? Look for people, activities, objectives.
- Context – What context is the photo in? For example, inside, outside, weather, time of day.
Travel Restricted Times
Photovoice is well-suited for both in person and remote use.
Keeping in mind differences in access and literacy, think about different ways to facilitate and plan this approach.
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Camera, computer and internet access |
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Smartphone and internet access |
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See an example of participatory activities using Google Slide.
Learn more on the digital tools page.
Materials and Resources
Approach Guidance
Training of Facilitators
This PowerPoint slide deck takes the participant through the main decision points to design a photovoice activity.
Guidance Note
This guidance note outlines the five recommended steps to conduct a photovoice activity with change agents. It includes workshop agendas and supporting documents.
Training of Facilitators
This 2-hour video recording of a facilitator training, takes participants through the main decision points to design a photovoice activity.
Planning Template
Planning Checklist
DOCX | 972 KB
Integrity Checklist
DOCX | 970 KB
Do-no-harm Strategy
Difference Mapping
In order to help participants focus on gendered changes, use this photograph brainstorming template to direct them towards GESI-related photos.
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- Think of a specific part of the program (like purchasing a latrine or training).
- Identify the different types of people that might participate in that part (men, women, young, old).
- Draw a circle in the middle of the page, and divide it by the number of different types of participants. Continue the lines out to the sides of the page.
- Use the different sections of the page to describe how different people experience this activity. What do they see, do, think, hear, say, feel? What struggles do they have? What opportunities do they have?
- Use this activity to think about what types of photos you may want to create.
Participant Materials
Sample Participant Information Sheet
This information sheet should be shared with participants prior to the first workshop. The template should be updated and translated as required.
Sample Photograph Submission Form
This form template is used in the second workshop to share photos with captions and titles. It can be adapted to a digital survey version for remote modalities. Update the form as required.
Sample Photograph Consent Form
This photograph consent form is used to ensure the informed consent of all individuals within photographs. It should be updated and translated as required.
Workshop Consent Form
This word document form can be used in a face-to-face workshop format and adapted for remote workshops.
Sample Participant Certificate
This certificate template can be used at the end of the second workshop to reward participants for successfully completing the photovoice process. It can be updated and translated as required.
Sample Brainstorm Sheet (difference mapping)
This brainstorming page helps participants to think about GESI-related photos about the different experiences of different genders.
Learn more
MacArthur, J., Carrard, N., Koh, S., & Willetts, J. (2022). Fostering the transformative potential of participatory photography: Insights from water and sanitation assessments. PLOS Water, 1(8), e0000036. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pwat.0000036
Bisung E, Elliott SJ, Abudho B, et al. (2015) Using photovoice as a community based participatory research tool for changing water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviours in Usoma, Kenya. BioMed Research International 2015. DOI: 10.1155/2015/903025.
Bisung E, Elliott SJ, Abudho B, et al. (2015) Dreaming of toilets: Using photovoice to explore knowledge, attitudes and practices around water-health linkages in rural Kenya. Health and Place 31(2014): 208–215. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.12.007.
Wang CC (1999) Photovoice: A participatory action research strategy applied to women’s health. Journal of Women’s Health 8(2): 185–192.
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