1. LOOK, ANALYZE
Who or what do you see?
What is/are the subject(s) of the picture?
What is happening in the photograph?
Describe what you see so clearly that a person who has not seen the picture can visualize it.
PEOPLE
What jumps out at you about the appearance of the person(s)?
What is the person(s) wearing? What style of clothing (formal, casual, regional, etc.)?
What images surround the person (or object) that is the focus of the photograph?
2. TIME/PLACE
When was this photograph taken?
Where was this photograph taken?
TEXT
Is there a caption or title?
Anything written with or within the image or other elements that might connect the image to a time and place?
3. MESSAGE or REASON
Why was the image taken? For whom?
Is the images connected to an event or activity?
Is there a theme or message being represented?
Does the photograph tell a story? Is it biased?
EMOTIONS
What does the photographer want the viewer to think?
What emotions or feelings are being depicted?
What emotions or feelings does the image evoke in you personally?
4. COMPOSITION
Look at how the image is composed.
Color, form, placement, proportion, resolution, cropped, etc.
Is there significance to these elements?
How do they affect the photograph's message?
5. SOURCE
Where did you find the image?
Who owns the image?
Does the source provide any context or meaning regarding your image?
Can you verify the image with other sources to help assess the reliability and accuracy of the image?
The Situation Room by The White House, May 1, 2011
By Nick Ut from The Associated Press, June 8, 1972
by Wonderlane (CC BY 2.0)
Sudan Famine UN food camp by Kevin Carter. 1994