FIELD IMAGE SURVEY 7.3. A DIGITAL CAMERA IS AN IMPORTANT RESEARCH TOOL

FIELD IMAGE SURVEY

7.3

A DIGITAL CAMERA IS AN IMPORTANT RESEARCH TOOL

UnderstandBy

Seeing

ExplainBy

Showing

Understand by Seeing

• Go to the field• Try to observe by taking pictures• If some one explains, ask him/ her to show it to you • Seeing is ‘having evidence’• By seeing often confusion or misunderstanding

disappears• Develop a ‘Trained Eye’: try to see as the local

expert

TRY TO CAPTURE THE KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL SPECIALISTS

Explaining by Showing

• A picture says more than a thousand words• Many people anyhow do not have much time to

read or listen• A picture needs no translation• A picture is idea and proof at the same time• Many things you can only show with pictures

Steps

• When in the field, try to see things through the camera and take pictures

• Ask local experts and resource persons to explain and ‘show’ what they mean

• Take photographs• Prepare presentations with these pictures

• Use circles and arrows to pinpoint special things in the picture

• Use captions to explain the things you cannot see

Example

What is happening here?

Groundwater overuse in Yemen – dry aquifers

IrrigationBy tanker

From well at 8 km distance

Even though dam is at 1 km distance

But noAgreement on use of its water

PHOTOGRAPHY: TIPS

• Use series of photographs – this can make a story

• Think of detail and think of overview• People make pictures more interesting

Tell a Story with a Series of PicturesPeople Make Picture More Interesting

Captions: Tips

• Bold text• Not too many textblocks• Not too many mouseclicks• If too much information: show in two slides

Advantages

• Makes local knowledge clear• Over time you will see more• Easy• Fast and convincing communication• Can directly use in training/ presentation