Photography an Aesthetic Technique for Nursing Inquiry

Abstract

Photographs visually capture experiences within life that are often not captured by language alone. Photography is a powerful tool for understanding human experience and a useful healing strategy. When photographs are used as an entree for interviewing participants, stories are elicited and a new view of their lives is revealed. As a person relates the story behind a photograph, new insights emerge about his or her human experience. With photography, other dimensions of observation and knowledge surrounding human experience emerge. This article discusses the use of photography as an aesthetic technique for nursing inquiry. A discussion of the uses of photography within nursing inquiry and suggestions for its use within method are presented.