580
5 Image-Based Digital Stories: Value, Validity, Capacity
Building, Ownership and Empowerment
By using images as a foundation for the stories, the story makers created a lasting
visual record of the two projects. Furthermore, when accompanied by the audio narratives or captions, the audience will not only forever be connected to the data contained within the photographs, for which Szto et al. (2005) claim visual research is
useful, but the viewer will also gain insight into how the participants interpret that
data in accordance with how the projects impact their lives. In their 1939 book, An
American Exodus, photographer Dorothea Lange in collaboration with her husband,
Paul S. Taylor printed excerpts from participants’ conversations that took place at
the time they took their photographs depicting rural poverty during the depression
era (Newhall 1982). This avoided the need for a third-person narrative and added an
experiential element to the photographs – a technique that documentary photographers have since commonly used. Moreover, using captions can help provide viewers with the “desired ethnographic meanings” if used correctly, according to Pink
(2013, p 171). Ultimately, this technique results in rich data which the viewer can
relate to, learn from, or analyse in the context of the respective research questions in
the case of research projects. How the audience uses the data contained within the
images and narratives depends on their requirements and the depth of their analysis.
This chapter is neither meant to be an analysis of the stories’ content, nor is it our
place to do so; instead, we aim to reflect upon the value of the product and the methodology within the context in which it was used. Nevertheless, it is clear to us that
the stories hold valuable information for all stakeholders – from farmers and their
peers to extension services, policymakers and future project designers.
Certain elements of the stories make them useful in a variety of contexts. For
instance, the experiential element provided by the beneficiaries has value in peer-topeer farmer communication. In the examples above, Fig. 1 introduces the farmer
and his story, and the portrait of him in front of his home and the accompanying
narrative about his family is a life situation to which many farmers from that area
can presumably relate. This can help to instantly engage an audience of his peers if
they recognise something – either the farmer or similarities with themselves – within
the picture and narrative. Figure 5 tells of what the farmer has learned from being
part of the project, further sharing her newly acquired knowledge of which trees to
plant to improve soil quality and increase dairy cows’ protein intake. Other stories –
the images and captions – share equally valuable information such as on new foraging systems or how to make mash feed. There are also many instances of clearly
visible or audible emotions within the images and narratives – something which is
not always evident from conventional research methods. These include but are not
limited to pride, humour, and frustration. Overall, the data contained within the
stories is rich and plentiful. In respect to the main motivations, drivers, and impacts
of being part of either of the two projects, participants did not directly mention
reducing carbon footprint or adapting to climate change, although the farming techniques that were introduced, such as new ways of making cattle feed for the dry
N. G. Davey and M. K. Moulton
5 Image-Based Digital Stories: Value, Validity, Capacity
Building, Ownership and Empowerment
By using images as a foundation for the stories, the story makers created a lasting
visual record of the two projects. Furthermore, when accompanied by the audio narratives or captions, the audience will not only forever be connected to the data contained within the photographs, for which Szto et al. (2005) claim visual research is
useful, but the viewer will also gain insight into how the participants interpret that
data in accordance with how the projects impact their lives. In their 1939 book, An
American Exodus, photographer Dorothea Lange in collaboration with her husband,
Paul S. Taylor printed excerpts from participants’ conversations that took place at
the time they took their photographs depicting rural poverty during the depression
era (Newhall 1982). This avoided the need for a third-person narrative and added an
experiential element to the photographs – a technique that documentary photographers have since commonly used. Moreover, using captions can help provide viewers with the “desired ethnographic meanings” if used correctly, according to Pink
(2013, p 171). Ultimately, this technique results in rich data which the viewer can
relate to, learn from, or analyse in the context of the respective research questions in
the case of research projects. How the audience uses the data contained within the
images and narratives depends on their requirements and the depth of their analysis.
This chapter is neither meant to be an analysis of the stories’ content, nor is it our
place to do so; instead, we aim to reflect upon the value of the product and the methodology within the context in which it was used. Nevertheless, it is clear to us that
the stories hold valuable information for all stakeholders – from farmers and their
peers to extension services, policymakers and future project designers.
Certain elements of the stories make them useful in a variety of contexts. For
instance, the experiential element provided by the beneficiaries has value in peer-topeer farmer communication. In the examples above, Fig. 1 introduces the farmer
and his story, and the portrait of him in front of his home and the accompanying
narrative about his family is a life situation to which many farmers from that area
can presumably relate. This can help to instantly engage an audience of his peers if
they recognise something – either the farmer or similarities with themselves – within
the picture and narrative. Figure 5 tells of what the farmer has learned from being
part of the project, further sharing her newly acquired knowledge of which trees to
plant to improve soil quality and increase dairy cows’ protein intake. Other stories –
the images and captions – share equally valuable information such as on new foraging systems or how to make mash feed. There are also many instances of clearly
visible or audible emotions within the images and narratives – something which is
not always evident from conventional research methods. These include but are not
limited to pride, humour, and frustration. Overall, the data contained within the
stories is rich and plentiful. In respect to the main motivations, drivers, and impacts
of being part of either of the two projects, participants did not directly mention
reducing carbon footprint or adapting to climate change, although the farming techniques that were introduced, such as new ways of making cattle feed for the dry
N. G. Davey and M. K. Moulton