What is Photovoice? Photovoice is a participatory research and critical thinking method that allows patients, clients and community members to share their experiences and collaborate for change. Using photographs can illuminate barriers to access, illustrate quality of care or influence policy and resource decision making in respectful and supportive ways. It can help unite service providers and patients through visual accounts to understand and to address health care issues as a shared endeavor. It is an innovative technique of interest to community members, graduate students, policy makers, professionals, and more.

History: Photovoice was developed by developed by Caroline C. Wang of the University of Michigan, and Mary Ann Burris, research associate of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London. In 1992, Wang and Burris created what is now known as "Photovoice" as a way to enable rural women of Yunnan Province, China, to influence the policies and programs that affected them. It has since been used among homeless adults in Ann Arbor, Michigan and among community health workers and teachers in rural South Africa and by Dr. Claudia Mitchell et al., and with brain injury survivors with Dr. Laura S. Lorenz. of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The concept owes a debt to the Paulo Freire's pedagogy related to critical consciousness, feminist theory and empowerment.

Perhaps the best of description of the history of Photovoice is to start here: Photovoice - From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia.

Laura offers Photovoice workshops for educators, facilitators, service providers, researchers, development workers, and others seeking to gain conceptual and hands-on experience with this dynamic community assessment and reflection method. Workshops are tailored to meet audience needs. Participants leave ready to design and implement a project in their local context. A CD of conceptual and practical materials for applying Photovoice and managing project logistics and outreach is provided as well.

For more information on details, content, customization, costs, etc of Photovoice Lectures or Workshops please contact Dr Laura S. Lorenz at laura@photovoiceworldwide.com, or use our Online Contact form (here). Please include "Re: PhotoVoice Lectures and Workshops." in the subject line.

A Brief Introduction to Photovoice: Concepts and Hands-on Experience, Seminar

• Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, January 7-8th, 2011

Sponsored by the Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL and The Qualitative Report Second Annual Conference.

This interactive seminar will briefly introduce photovoice and its advantages and challenges as learned from experience in the U.S. and South Africa. Participants will review photos and narratives from past projects and share their perceptions. They will answer a research question by selecting a photo and writing a narrative for it. The seminar will conclude with a brainstorm on 1) the themes that emerge from the small group work and 2) ways to adapt photovoice to local contexts and purposes.
 

Talking with Pictures: Concepts and Hands-on Experience updated for 2011

• Bethesda, Maryland (November 4-6th, 2010)
• 35th National Conference of AMERSA, Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, Arlington, VA (November 3rd-5th, 2011)

Sponsored by the Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), Bethesda, MD.

2010 Best Workshop Award, The 2011 AMERSA Executive Board and Workshop Review Committee, has chosen Dr. Lorenz's workshop, Talking with Pictures: Concepts and Hands-on Experience, for the 2010 Best Workshop Award. The award will be presented during the Award Plenary Session of the 2011 AMERSA national meeting which will be held November 3rd-5th 2011 at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel, in Arlington, VA.

Description of this workshop: A facilitated 90-minute seminar on “Talking with Pictures: Concepts and Hands-on Experience” for researchers and clinicians. This workshop will briefly cover the foundations of photovoice, provide examples of photos and narratives from work with brain injury survivors and people living with HIV/AIDS, and provide hands-on experience with several photovoice steps: (a) becoming a visual researcher, (b) discussing images and writing narratives, and (c) developing project themes. The workshop will culminate in a brainstorming session by session attendees on possibilities for adapting the photovoice methodology to their educational, research, service, and evaluation programs.
 

Talking with Pictures: Fostering Dialogue and Hope in Health and Community

• Omaha, Nebraska (July 7th, 2010)

Sponsored by the College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.  Contact & Moderator Phyllis Nsiah-Kumi, M.D. Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine Division of General Medicine-Academic.

Description: In a two-hour seminar open to the public, Senior Research Associate Dr Laura S. Lorenz of the Institute for Behavioral Health at The Heller School for Social Policy, Brandeis University explores the foundations of photovoice and share photos from three photovoice projects she has led in the US and South Africa since 2001--with teenaged girls, youth living with HIV/AIDS, and adult brain injury survivors. This presentation will result in a solid understanding of this popular approach to participatory health and community research and its potential applications, and a list of resources for further learning.

Clinical and Transitional Seminar:  Talking with Pictures: Fostering Dialogue and Hope in Health and Community 2-Hrs  (approx 4:15 min into webinar)
 

Engaging the Public in Health and Community: A Photovoice Workshop

• Omaha, Nebraska (July 6th, 2010)

Sponsored by the Division of General Internal Medicine and Center for Clinical and Translational Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.

Description: A one-day workshop covering the foundations of photovoice, a participatory action research process in which people represent their points of view and experience using photographs and narratives, often for the purpose of defining strengths and gaps in health and healthcare as they relate to participants’ daily lives. Workshop elements include: foundations of photovoice, and hands-on experience with photovoice steps: becoming a visual researcher, ethical considerations, taking photographs, discussing images and writing narratives, outreach, and options for analyzing images and text. Workshop will culminate in a brainstorming session on using photovoice in remote/rural/health/healthcare research.  Click here for a flyer and further details.
 

Incorporating Photovoice into Rural Health Research  - Two Workshops

• Vancouver, British Columbia (September 11th, 2009)
• Prince George, British Columbia (September 12th, 2009)

Sponsored by: BC Rural & Remote Health Research Network (BCRRHRN), British Columbia, Canada.

A one day workshop covering the foundations of photovoice, a participatory action research process in which people represent their points of view and experience using photographs and narratives, often for the purpose of defining strengths and gaps in health and healthcare as they relate to participants’ daily lives. Workshop elements include:  foundations of photovoice, and hands-on experience with photovoice steps: becoming a visual researcher, ethical considerations, taking photographs, discussing images and writing narratives, outreach, and options for analyzing images and text. Workshop will culminate in a brainstorming session on using photovoice in remote/rural/health/healthcare research.
 

University of Massachusetts Medical School, Commonwealth Medicine, Office of Long-Term Care and Support. Shrewsbury, MA. (May 12th, 2009)

A one-day workshop for LTCS staff and consultants responsible for leading five photovoice projects throughout the Commonwealth with persons living with chronic conditions and disabilities. Photovoice participants will be exploring quality of care for long-term care and supports from their perspectives. The workshop will cover the foundations of photovoice (history, theoretical/values base, ethics, practice, and logistics) and the 5 Core Consumer Outcome domains of the MA Systems Transformation Grant, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
 

Brain Injury Association of MA. Westborough, MA. (May 7th, 2007)

Laura, in collaboration with Barbara Webster and Laura Foley, led a photovoice training workshop for leaders of brain injury survivor support groups in Massachusetts. The 6-hour workshop introduced the concept and process of photovoice, shared examples of past projects, and determined a photovoice topic for the day. Participants developed hands on experience with photovoice as they took photographs in and around the workshop site, discussed them, wrote narratives, and shared with the larger group. The workshop wrapped up with discussion of ways to adapt photovoice to local brain injury support groups and an evaluation of the day. Participants left with a binder of conceptual and practical materials to refer to as they design and implement their own projects with brain injury survivors.

From September–November 2006, Barbara Webster and Laura Foley, traumatic brain injury survivors and leaders, together with Laura Lorenz co-facilitated a photovoice project with 8 members of a brain injury survivor support group in Framingham, MA. The project culminated in an exhibit of 50 photos and narratives, grouped under 9 themes, at the Annual Conference of the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts in Marlborough, MA, March 22, 2007. Outreach and other efforts continue.

Photovoice Project Poster (24"x36") - (PDF) 375 Kilobytes