image

The Image Story is a new site where photographers submit their pictures along with the “back story” about them — their inspiration, gear, etc.

It has some nice photos but, more importantly for me, it gave me an idea for a classroom activity that I hadn’t thought of before (though I suspect someone else has).

What not have students show their own photos and provide their own back story? I don’t think most of the questions The Image Story uses would work, but others would, like:

What made you want to take this picture (or, as The Image Story asks, what was your inspiration)?

Why do you like (or not like) the image?

Who would you want to show the image to and why?

Will this photo be important to you five, ten, or twenty years from now? Why or why not?

I’m sure there are plenty of other questions students could respond to — what your suggestions?

Also, I wonder if a version of this exercise could also be used with images students did not take? For example, showing famous (and not so famous) photos and asking students why they thought the photographer took them and how they think he/she was feeling at the time.

I’m adding this post to The Best Ways To Use Photos In Lessons.