Display
...is for Display
As an additional format this option stands out from the others; the information given is that this can be up to 15 images annotated with up 700 words. As with the other formats, students must have a clear purpose for both parts of the main body of the reflective project that ensures that they do not repeat material and they cover the criteria over the two elements. What could this display be? Read on for more ideas and exploration. We start with photo-essays ...
One of the additional formats listed is 'a display' which means a 1500-2000 word report with additional 15 images annotated with 700 words. A way of exploring this option is through the medium of the 'photo essay'; there are so many interesting examples out there that these can be real inspiration for students and how they approach this.
The nature of photo essays
Remember the criteria and the overall aim of the reflective project: we want the student to explore and evaluate an ethical dilemma from multiple perspectives. The key is to ensure that the purpose of both the written report and the additional display is firmly set and then the student are able to come up with an imaginative purpose for the display.
What can a photo essay achieve?
Create a narrative: Photo essays can tell a story or convey a narrative through a series of photographs. By sequencing images in a particular order, photographers can create a visual story that engages viewers and conveys meaning. You also might consider the graphic novel style and using a narrative to explore an ethical dilemma and its impact. It could also be the place where you explore multiple perspectives surrounding the dilemma.
Raise awareness: you can use the accompanying pictures to raise awareness of social issues or events. By capturing powerful images of people, places, or situations, you can draw attention to an ethical dilemma that in an interesting and dynamic way. There might be a connection with the student's service learning project where they have discovered an ethical dilemma that relates to their career-related study; perhaps this might be an opportunity to raise awareness.
Educate: This might well go hand in hand with 'raise awareness' in the point above. Photo essays can also be educational, as it could be they provide explicit information about the ethical dilemma in the local community and its impact. This is certainly an interesting approach to exploring criterion B.
Evoke emotion: there is no doubt that imagery can be powerful so it might be that the additional format is utilised to provoke an audience response whether this is joy, sadness, anger, or empathy. Thinking about the sequence of images is as important as the content. This is an expecially interesting area to explore if the reflective project centres around the media and matters of bias and fake news (just a few examples).
Advocate for change: Photo essays can also be used to advocate for change by highlighting issues or events that require action. So in terms of the reflective project, the student might use the display and annotations to present their own voice and conclusions about the ethical dilemma they explored in the written report. We want students to present a solution to the ethical dilemma once they have weighed up the strengths and limitations of different perspectives and this might be an ideal place to do that; in short, a great way to demonstrate critical thinking
The key here is to consider the strengths and limitations of an image without the written word as well as the strengths and limitations of the written word without imagery. What could be the impact of combining both? And then more specifically, does a particular research question centred on an ethical dilemma lend itself well to being explored visually as well as in written format.
The next step is to see just how many different ways this powerful medium can be used.
Consider the following selection of photo essays and discuss both the ethical dilemma/dilemmas at the heart of them as well as what purpose the images serve. In other words, why not just an article or essay?
Topic: Climate change and natural disasters
Photo essay: 20 Climate Change photos that changed the world
This photo essay from 5th November 2022, is just one example of how photos can capture in an instant change and a new reality whilst allowing the viewer to reflect on what has been and lost. All these photos are powerful in themselves but as a collection that create a unifying beat of the same drum as both local and global consequences quite visible in each picture.
'They are the images that made us sit up and take notice. As world leaders gather for Cop27, these pictures prove that global heating isn’t a distant possibility – it’s already here'
Photo essay from The Guardian: 23rd July 2021 - flooding hits Europe
Topic: Global migration and the migrant experience in the 21st Century
Photo Essay 1: Unicef: 'The things we hold on to: Refugee children carry memories of home'
This photo essay from 17th June 2022 was written for the charity Unicef. The opening paragraph captures the purpose of the piece and invites us to imagine ourselves in the shoes of those displaced. It is interesting to consider the way Unicef have used the photo-essay format here to document multiple perspectives unified by one shared characteristic of displacement.
'What would you take if you had only hours – even minutes – to decide before being forced to flee your home? And what if you didn’t know how long you’d be gone, or what would be left of your home should you return?
These are questions that a growing number of refugees have had to confront as new waves of violence and protracted crises worldwide uproot millions from their homes. But even as the global refugee population has more than doubled in the past decade, refugee and displaced children – from Afghanistan to South Sudan to Syria to Ukraine – have something important in common: They all have equal rights. And they need our support to grow, to learn and to thrive in safety'.
Photoessay 2: Photo essay captures the drama, terror and heartbreak of migration.
This photoessay, from the Malta Times 28th February 2022, gives a sense of the role of photography in documenting challenging and distressing events truthfully. Pictures like this can prompt fearsome and fearless discussion as they challenge the reader. This photojournalist is also local to the island; interesting to consider how they are activists in their local community.
'A photo essay capturing the drama and fear experienced by migrants at sea by local photojournalist Darrin Zammit Lupi placed second in an international competition held recently as part of Xposure International Photography Festival, in the United Arab Emirates.'
Other resources to explore:
from The Guardian: 21st June 2021 - Documenting violence against migrants in South Africa: a photo-story
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/21/documenting-violence-against-migrants-in-south-africa-a-photo-essay
Warning: this photo-essay is an uncomfortable read about a global ethical issue.
Making connections and using the additional formats as preparation
The significance of the local context
Irrespective of whether your students choose the display additional format, exploring how one's local environment can be documented is an important part of students' personal development as it allows them to make an individual connection to their community. They may approach this through a particular lens - say their service learning projects, a pastime, family life etc... or it may be documenting the most influential places to them in their local community.
Criterion B
... asks for students to explore the impact and significance of their ethical dilemma in a local or global context. Notice the 'or'. However, students often choose to look at both which can be hugely impactful as they are considering the implications of an ethical dilemma on a local and global platform and making connections between them.
Using the display format is a great way of preparing for the reflective project even if students do not use this as their final piece.
These are really interesting resources that explore places.
Topic: The world directly around us
Photo Essays from Cambridge University's Centre for Urban Conflicts Research
This is a fascinating resource which captures the unique character of places and the issues that define it through pictures and annotation. It draws attention to the fact that a picture only tells half the story but so does the annotation so we are able to consider what element of a photo essay adds to the overall effect. Many cities are represented here. It's really interesting how the places are captured in a conceptual theme in the initial image.
Photo Essay from 'The Photographic Journal' is an interesting collective of photo essays, features and interviews that are worth students spending time exploring. An example, amongst many, is one that paints a portrait of a city: Los Angeles - https://thephotographicjournal.com/essays/fade-los-angeles/
10 photo challenge.
Students consider the context in which they live whether this be the city centre, suburbia, rural, mountainous, seaside ...using just their camera phones, students take ten photos that capture their context to them. Within these photos, what is captured? How might an outsider view these photos? Did their assignment help them recognise more about their community?
Once you have established an ethical dilemma for a focus, consider how this is depicted in the world directly around you.
Reflective Project ethics
The following guidelines are actually relevant for all options both in terms of research as well as when interacting with external stakeholders in the community - this could be in film, interview, and collection of research data.
If you do choose the Display option and decide to explore the notion of a photo essay style piece, then remember, like all reflective projects you must consider how to carry out your work ethically. It may be that you want to take your own photos as one of the things you want to achieve is raising awareness and creating change in your local environment. You must consider everyone involved in this and ensure that they are protected. It may be that you will use other sources as well be it photo, art or graphic imagery - this must be attributed. Use the combination of images and written word to be explicit about potential bias and accurate depiction of fact and truth.
1. Consider what you are wanting to take photos of. You must seek permission of anyone involved and they must be informed about the purpose and intended use.
2. If you are not sure whether a photo is appropriate or not, then it probably is not and you need to err on the side of caution. It can be easy to forget the notion of respecting privacy in the modern world with a lot of people on social media platforms but this is crucial to ethical photojournalism.
3. When you are capturing an image, your mission is to be as accurate as possible and this needs to be in the forefront of your mind. Set the intention of objectivity and that you will try to capture a situation as accurately as possible without creating an artificial representation at all. The key is to be explicit with your awareness of truth and bias and this might come out in the image or in the annotations that accompany it.
4. Keep the big picture in mind. How does the picture fit in to the overall purpose of your reflective project? Are you telling a narrative and what are you trying to communicate? Does the photo help you do that?
5. It goes without saying that, and this is an extension of point 2, if you are not sure if something is right/sensitive/dangerous, then do not.
6. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: So important it is in capitals. If you use a photo then the subjects must be given credit as well as if the photo/image/graphic is not yours.
A display (a storyboard or photo essay using up to 15 annotated images and 700 words)
Choose a display to support a shorter essay if your research uncovers the significance of imagery to support the ethical dilemma at the heart of your project. Sometimes there are ethical dilemmas that can be depicted successfully in an image; sometimes the way bias and subjectivity emerges can be captured perfectly in an image rather than extensively in writing. You might be very keen on photography and media, looking to deepen your expertise in this area in preparation for further education or employment - this might be the perfect mode to showcase your talent.
Mind map your initial ideas for:
... how you will source your images. Are you creating the images yourself orare you using secondary sources? Or might there be a reason to use both? How will you avoid plagiarism?
... how you will utilise the additional written comments for your images. This is an area not to be overlooked just because the word count is comparatively small.
... how you will present your ideas. After researching your ethical dilemma extensively, an idea will emerge about what purpose you want your display to have.