Visual Anthropology and Photo Ethnogryphy

Nowadays Visual Anthropology and Photo Ethnography are getting more and more popular. It is everywhere, people use it for a lot of reasons. Some use it for research, others use it for better understand and even use it as a form of teaching. Many producers and directors also use these methods for their movies because it can help relay a message even if it is fiction. If you get the right techniques then even a fictional movie can be relatable or have a deeper meaning.

Personally I like these two methods because photos and videos are always eye-catching more than only words. To add in, it’s easier to express your feeling and emotion through photos and videos. A presentation without any photo or video is boring to me and usually makes me fall asleep. Beside that, by asking the research participant to document an aspect of their life with photography, it helps provide the researcher with more insight into the context that they're studying. Visual Anthropology and Photo Ethnography is a great way to gain more empathy for your user. When the participant records information for you, you're able to experience the scenario from their perspective. From there, you can create a product, a design or find a suitable solution for the users.

However, the methods also have some disadvantages. Because it uses photo and video to analyze and gather information so it’s quite time- consuming. Sometimes to find participants to help you conduct this method is also a problem. Some difficult and sensitive topics are very hard for you to find participant to document that topic.

I am a kind of person who interested in photos and videos more than only words. I prefer visual expression and find it easier to express myself with pictures, stories, and music. That is why I want to use this method. Visual anthropology is also suitable for people who are uncomfortable and often uncommunicative in new situations or have short attention spans and need continual stimulation to keep them focused. To me, sometimes visual can be more important than written text.