Secondary: Photo Story

Lesson objectives

To appreciate how images can be used to promote particular views oragendas

To extract information from images To interpret images and realise that other people may interpret them

differently To realise the story telling power of carefully selected photographs.

IntroductionWhen a photographer is commissioned to report on an event or to take picturesfor a client, there is usually a brief or set of instructions to work from. The editormay want pictures of a particular event or person, or to express an emotion, suchas sadness, excitement or fear. Other times, the photographer will use his skillsto put across a particular view or opinion.

Activity1. In a small group, take a good look at these photographs from the Katine website. Still in your group, write a paragraph to explain the story that you think thephotographers could be trying to tell, then try to work out how each imagecontributes to the story. For each photograph, try to explain what the picture istelling the audience.

Images to show here…

Receiving US Aidhttp://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/katine/gallery/2008/oct/15/rural-women/food-9681.jpg

Pregnant mother, no bed space at Soroti hopsital, 14k from Katinehttp://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/katine/gallery/2008/dec/10/women/Maternity-ward-6336.jpg

Disabled manhttp://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/katine/gallery/2007/oct/17/internationalnews/GD4923217@Katine-project-6823.jpg

Child drinkinghttp://static.guim.co.uk/Guardian/katine/gallery/2008/mar/18/1/3Water-break-2191.jpg

2. Search the Katine website to find images that would convey the following threemessages. For each message put together a portfolio of between 4 and 10pictures that tell the story.

a) People in Katine are hardworking, but happy.b) Katine is a well developed village with modern facilities.c) Katine is an under developed village with no modern facilities.

3. What does this tell you about the use of photographs in newspapers, books,websites and other places where they are used to tell a story?