Photos can do more

January 08, 2009

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” Although there is plenty of truth in this popular saying, photos can do more than communicate or be published.

This is a quote from an article by Paul Van Mele, technology transfer specialist in Cotonou, Benin, published in the March 2006 issue of LEISA Magazine (vol.22:1). The theme of this issue was "Documentation for Change". In his article Van Mele describes how he uses photos from the field for many different purposes, for instance:

with farmers, photographs can stimulate pride and creative thinking, women-to-women extension and participatory research
with project partners, photographs prove to be a useful evaluation and learning tool
with colleagues in the office, photographs often are a good starting point for discussions about the work.

Van Mele's article can be read and/or downloaded here (click).

Good photographs are indeed an effective tool in communicating innovations and best practices in agricultural development. But what makes a good photograph? And how to take good photographs? DFID's Research Into Use Programme (RIU) has published a Field Guide to Photography, produced by SCRIPTORIA Communications. This Field Guide helps develop the skills needed to take a full and compelling photographic record of your work in the field of agricultural development. The book mentions one more purpose for good photographs: they may help to advertise the results of your work to donors and policy makers.

RIU's Field Guide to Photography can be downloaded from this (click) website (pdf).