Depicting Experiences

This paper argues that photography is a helpful tool in understanding the ways people experience the world. Five arguments are presented in order to support this statement, each built on the methodological idea that respondents are asked to take, or produce, their own pictures related to a particular phenomenon under investigation. The arguments are: new unconventional methods enhance educational inquiry; photos can serve as communication bridges between strangers; photography makes it easier to represent a situation; photos can be regarded as complex expressions of the photographer's relation to the world; finally, photos enhance the expressing of feelings. These arguments are further discussed in the context of outcomes of a study, which used photography to probe ecological understanding. It is concluded that a deliberate use of the methodology will enhance not only the way photos might be used in research but also enrich educational research aiming at capturing the way people experience and relate to the world surrounding them.

Keywords:

• Photo Elicitation
• Photo Interviewing
• Phenomenography
• Human-NATURE Relationship