Where can I learn more about Photovoice?

See Section Four: Tools and Additional Photovoice Resources for more information and a reference list on Photovoice.

What are the benefits (or possible uses) of doing a Photovoice project?

• - Volunteer/member development and networking opportunities

• - Assessing program achievements and community impact

• - Raising awareness of the program and its impact

• - Develop communication materials

What is the difference between Photojournalism and Photovoice?

Photojournalism and photovoice differ in who takes the photos and the intended use of those photos. In Photojournalism, a professional report news, however in photovoice participants are trained and move through a process to document their own lives and share them with their desired audience. Photos may be used for exhibits, reports, social media, presentations, and advocacy.

How many sessions should our Photovoice project be?
Photovoice projects can run 1–10  sessions, depending on your goals, participant availability, and depth of discussion you want.

See Section Two: Planning for Your Photovoice Project, for additional information.

How to determine the duration of my Photovoice project?
Base your timeline on your purpose (storytelling vs. research), participant capacity, and how much time you need for training, photo-taking, and reflection. Consider your budget for personnel and stipends.

See Section Two: Planning for Your Photovoice Project, for additional information.

Should I host a virtual or in-person Photovoice project? Can I do a hybrid project?
Photovoice can be in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Choose the format that best matches the scope of your project and your participants’ access to technology, transportation, and comfort level. An advantage of a virtual project is that you can involve participants from a larger geographic region, while in person programs promote greater interpersonal engagement. A hybrid program, a combination of both in person and virtual sessions, is certainly an option.

See Section Two: Planning for Your Photovoice Project, for additional information.

How to determine who to recruit?
Recruit participants, program staff, program leadership, or community members who are directly connected to your project’s topic and have lived experience related to your guiding question.

How to deal with low engagement from participants?
Build strong relationships, keep sessions interactive, reduce technical barriers, and clearly explain how participants’ work will be used and valued. Stay in touch with participants’ feelings and quickly address any frustration or confusion with support from team members. Connect with participants between sessions.

See Section Two: Preparing for Your Photovoice Project, for additional information.

Is there an age restriction on who can participate in a Photovoice project?

Circumstances and settings for Photovoice projects vary widely, so you will need to assess which age group is appropriate for your project. Generally, all ages are welcome; however, participants under 18 will require a guardian’s permission.

How much should I pay participants in Photovoice?
Compensation should reflect participants’ time and contributions and follow your organization’s policies; stipends, gift cards, hourly pay, or professional development hours are common options.

See Section Two: Planning for Your Photovoice Project, for additional information. Also, here is a great resource on equitable compensation: 

• Urban Institute’s Equitable Compensation for Community Engagement Guidebook (2024) https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/Equitable%20Compensation%20for%20Community%20Engagement%20Guidebook.pdf

When should consent forms be required?
Always use informed consent and photo release forms to protect participants and anyone appearing in photos, and clearly explain how images will be used.

See section 3.2 on Photo Ethics for additional information.

How do I find support with the photography portion of Photovoice?
Partner with local photographers, arts organizations, libraries, or universities, or use basic smartphone photography training. You can also find local media literacy centers that may be able to partner with you on this project. Depending on your project budget, you may be able to hire a local photographer to join your Photovoice project. If you are not able to find photography support,  see Section Four: Tools and Additional Photovoice Resources for optional Photography Training recording and slides. 

Do we need to buy cameras for the project or can participants just use their own phone?

This will depend on a number of factors. Providing project cameras (even if participants don’t end up using them) is a more equitable approach as personal camera phones may differ in quality and not all participants may have access to a phone with a camera. 

What is the best camera to use?

Determining which type of camera to use for your project will depend on a number of factors, including your budget and your team’s capacity with point and shoot cameras (e.g., disposable cameras will require more time and budget for printing). Inexpensive digital cameras with SD memory cards are convenient for uploading pictures during sessions or to online photosharing platforms, and they can be collected and reused for future photovoice projects. If you choose to partner with a photography or media partner, they can also provide recommendations on a camera to use.

What do you suggest if a participant has several photos, but the quality of the photos isn’t clear? 

Focus on meaningful images that support reflection and storytelling rather than the number of photos taken. As far as quality of photos, the decision should be left to the participant. If there are enough sessions, the participant can retake any photos they wish and be offered guidance on things like lighting and positioning to help improve the quality of the photo.

How should I use the Photovoice pictures?

Photos can be used for exhibits, reports, social media, presentations, and advocacy. It is important to discuss with participants how they prefer to use or share their Photovoice pictures. Only use photos in ways participants have approved through consent.

See Section 3.5 for additional information.

I’m planning to have photo-sharing across three sessions. Do participants share the same photos each session, or should they go out and take new pictures?

After the first photo sharing sessions, participants often experience an “aha moment” and get more ideas on what photos they want to take to include in this project. Each photo sharing session should be used to share those new photos. If time allows and participants want to re-share a previously shared photo with a new perspective, then do so.

Every Photovoice project will encounter challenges, but with preparation, flexibility, and clear communication, those challenges can become opportunities for learning and deeper engagement. Creating space during sessions for participants to share both their challenges and their successes helps foster reflection, problem-solving, and mutual support throughout the project.Below are some examples of challenges we have experienced and strategies to address them. 

Missed sessions or inconsistent engagement: Build in flexibility, as schedules can be busy and change quickly. 

• - Offer make-up sessions 1:1 over Zoom or phone with a member of the facilitating team.

• - Remain engaged with participants in-between sessions by sending reminders before sessions (e.g., send text messages, phone calls or emails).

Challenges with picture-taking after photo training: Encourage practice sessions and emphasize that the power of Photovoice comes from the "story behind the photo,” not professional photography skills.

• - If technology related (digital camera or phone camera): Offer photography clinic or a 1:1 session with a member of the facilitating team. Some participants may need more time to either learn their camera or come up with ideas on where to take pictures. 

- If unsure of what pictures to take: Encourage participants to help each other come up with ideas and inspiration for photo-taking.

Tips for facilitating participatory Photovoice sessions

• - Facilitators should listen and be guided by participant cues, words, and ideas and should avoid steering participants. 

• - See Section Four: Tools and Additional Photovoice Resources for more facilitating resources.

The Community Service Photovoice Toolkit is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). The toolkit was authored by Theodora Biney-Amissah, Carlin Rafie, and Emily Zimmerman of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center on Society and Health and Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech. A suggested citation for this work is as follows:

Biney-Amissah T, Rafie C, Zimmerman E. Community Service Photovoice Toolkit. Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health and Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech. August 2026. https://sites.google.com/view/commserphotovoicetoolkit