Every Photo is a Story
Part 1: Start to Read a Photograph

Try It Yourself Exercise

Prints and Photographs Division

View Part 1

View all parts of "Every Photo is a Story"

Before getting started:

Watch "Every Photo is a Story" Part 1: Start to Read a Photograph

Review the Top Tips for Part 1: Start to Read a Photograph:

• Look closely, front & back. Use a magnifying glass if viewing an original photo or zoom in on details if you are viewing a digital image.
• Describe what you see. Describe what you see in words and take note of unusual features. Take note of what's present and what's missing.
• Don't make assumptions. Question each observation made and verify each piece of information that came with the photograph.
• Seek out multiple photos. Seek out all the photos you can on a subject; each photo is another clue about the whole story. Find out if the photograph is part of a collection which could offer additional context. Look for photos taken by different photographers of the same subject.
• Ask how the photographer is shaping the scene. Be aware that the photographer is shaping the picture. Photos are not a mechanical recording of fact.

Exercise 1: Look Closely at Photographs

Practice your visual literacy skills with the three photographs below. Look closely and use your observations to speculate about the story of each photograph. Then, read the description of the photograph and see how well your perceptions match the information given.

1. Look closely at the photograph. Open up the higher resolution file. Spend a few minutes studying the photograph, and zoom in on the details, one section of the photo at a time.

2. Describe what you see and question your assumptions. Take in details of the setting, the clothing, people's expressions. Write down your observations. Ask yourself: How do I know this is true? What stands out as unusual? What event do I think is taking place? Do the subjects seem aware of the photographer?

3. Read the descriptive information. With your observations in hand, go to the beginning of Exercise 2 and read the catalog record for each photograph. How did your observations match up to the information given? What surprised you, if anything?

Photograph 1:

View higher resolution file.

Photograph 2:

View higher resolution file.

Photograph 3:

View higher resolution file.

Exercise 2: Look for Context

Take the same photographs from Exercise 1: Look Closely at Photographs, and seek out related photographs and additional contextual information in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.

Catalog Description

Catalog Description

Catalog Description

1. Browse for related photographs. Related photographs are sometimes located near each other in the catalog. Look at the catalog record for each photograph and select the "Browse neighboring items by call number" link. Do you see any photographs that appear related to the photo in question? Explore the related photos and catalog records to see if they add to your understanding of the first photo.

2. Learn more about the collection. Each photograph is from a larger collection of photographs in the Prints and Photographs Division. Study each catalog record and see if you can locate the name of the collection. Once you do, select the linked collection name to be taken to the home page for that group of photographs. Explore the articles and essays about the collection to learn more about its scope and content. Consider how the initial photograph fits into this context.

3. Search for related photographs. Collect a list of keywords from the catalog record, looking at the title, summary, notes and subject and format headings. Think of additional keywords which could also retrieve related or similar images. For example: In addition to the word class, you might try classroom, school, student, teacher, and so on. Try your searches in the photograph's collection first, and then explore the entire Prints and Photographs Online Catalog.

4. Consider the context. How did the additional related photographs add to your understanding of the initial photograph? What did you learn about the photographs by reading about the collection?