Research Photography in the Field

Good fieldwork with visual methods requires good photographic work. The aim of this chapter is to explain the technical aspect of image-making by presenting the ‘exposure triangle’ that describes the interrelationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO. The relationships of camera settings in the exposure triangle are important to understand for social researchers, as optimal exposed image hold the most detail and subsequent data is not lost due to over- or underexposure of images. Furthermore, this chapter includes a discussion of photography as a research method in its field application. It can be a powerful social and research enabler, which directly affects the quality of data collected. However, photography in the field can also consciously or subconsciously become a tool for perpetuating stereotypes or reinforcing stigma. With this underlying foundation, the concept of Verstandnis is introduced as an important field element of the data collection process. Applying this concept might help researchers better navigate the challenges and encounters when collecting photographs in the field.