Using photos and prints in lessons
The stories behind the images

Complete 1 of the exercises listed below and practice analyzing photos.

Exercise 1: Introduction

1. View the following image.
   
   
2. Download the following analysis sheet. What do you know about this image? On the worksheet, list as many people, objects, and activities and other details you see.
   
   
3. What do you think you know about this scene? List any inferences/interpretations you have on the worksheet. Examine the image to find clues about the time of day, time of year, setting, economics and commerce of the time, date and location of the picture.
   
   
4. What would you like to know about this image? List any research questions you have about this image.
   
   
5. Now that you have made observations and inferences about this image, how can you find out if your observations and inferences are similar to the published information? RESEARCH!
   
   
6. Use the following strategies and sources for further information.
   
   
   • bibliographic information (metadata)
   • brainstorm search terms
   • use search terms to find out more about the image
     
     
7. Based on your research, gather other primary visual sources from same era, other visual and textual resources by same creator, secondary sources about era.
   
   
   • image metadata
   • image metadata
   • Colorado State Archives

Uncover any information about the image that supported or contradicted your initial inferences about the image? What is the story behind the image?

Exercise 2: Further Analysis

1. Download the following analysis sheet. Then view the following image. What do you know about this image? On the worksheet, list as many people, objects, and activities and other details you see.
   
   
2. What do you think you know about this scene? List any inferences/interpretations you have on the worksheet. Examine the image to find clues about the time of day, time of year, setting, economics and commerce of the time, date and location of the picture.
   
   
3. What would you like to know about this image? List any research questions you have about this image.
   
4. Where could you go to find out more answers? Brainstorm three places to go for more information.
   
   
5. Using this analysis sheet, make further inferences about this image by answering the following questions:
   
   
   • Who do you think created this image?
   • What era is it from?     
   • Why was it produced
     
     
6. Now look at the metadata (bibliographic information) that is connected to the image. Has this answered any of your research questions?
   
   
7. Go to the Heritage Colorado Database and research this image using keywords from the metadata.
   
   
8. Compare this image to other primary and secondary sources you find from your research.
   
   
9. What did you learn about who created this image and why it was produced?
   

Exercise 3: The photographer's perspective

1. View the following image by the photographer Dorthea Lange.
   
   
2. Answer as many questions as you can about the image. Use this analysis sheet.
   
   
   • Where was the photographer standing?
     
   • Why did the photographer choose a particular pose or shoot from a particular angle?
     
   • What did the photographer include in and exclude from the picture frame and why?
     
   • Was the original picture later cropped and, if so, why?
     
   • Was the published picture accompanied by an explanatory caption and, if so, what influence did it have on viewers' understanding of the photograph?
     
   • What audience was the photographer addressing when he or she took the photograph?
     
     
3. Now view the metadata about the image. Use this to finish filling out the worksheet.
   
   
4. Using the photographer's name and any other information from the metadata, search for the rest of the story about the photograph.
   
   
5. Based on your answers above, what story do you think the photographer was trying to convey with this image? Was he/she successul?

Now you know that images are created to to tell a story, and this 'story' may not be the actual story, how could you use this knowledge with students?