Photo Interview

In the PLANET4B case study on Swiss attitudes to agrobiodiversity, photo interview was particularly effective in understanding how farmers’ spiritual and value-based beliefs influence their environmental behaviour. Asking participants to take and discuss images encouraged reflection on everyday practices and opened dialogue about the intersections of faith, farming, and biodiversity. Understanding the potential impacts of photo interview can help researchers anticipate the types of changes the method may support, and plan for how these can be recognised and strengthened over time. Impacts can occur at multiple levels, from individual awareness to broader community and societal engagement.

Intrapersonal change takes place within an individual, involving shifts in knowledge, attitudes, emotions, or skills.

• Self-reflection and personal growth: Taking or selecting images encourages participants to notice details in their surroundings that might otherwise be overlooked, from species and habitats to everyday practices that affect biodiversity. This process can deepen awareness and foster a sense of care or responsibility for ecological systems.
• Emotional articulation: Using photographs as prompts enables participants to express feelings about biodiversity and environmental change, whether related to species decline, land management, farming, or conservation practices, that might be difficult to convey in words alone.

Interpersonal change occurs between people, who influence and learn from one another through shared images and discussion.

• Knowledge exchange and inspiration: Looking at each other’s photos provides new insights into farming practices, landscapes, or cultural values, sparking conversations that extend beyond the individual interview. Although make sure your participants are willing to share their photos.
• Shared recognition: Exhibiting or presenting photos in group settings allows participants to feel their contributions are valued, strengthening trust and mutual appreciation between researchers and communities.

Community-level change involves shifts in the practices, norms, or structures of a group, organisation, or place-based network.

• Strengthening collective voice: Displaying photo interview outputs in exhibitions or community meetings can reinforce local identity and highlight shared concerns about biodiversity.
• Catalysing initiatives: Images and stories may inspire collective projects, such as developing sustainable farming practices, organising workshops, or advocating for changes in land use or biodiversity policy.

Wider societal change occurs when photo interview influences debates and practices beyond the immediate participant group.

• Raising visibility: Photos and narratives shared in exhibitions, reports, or media can draw attention to the role of values, beliefs, and culture in shaping biodiversity governance.
• Shaping narratives and priorities: By highlighting connections between biodiversity and everyday life, photo interview can reframe public debates, showing that ecological concerns are not only technical but also deeply social and cultural.

In this video Ghezal Sabir reflects on the impacts of sharing photos:

‍Ways to measure impact‍

For more detailed guidance on measuring change, see the Impact module. Three techniques that may work well include:

• Participant feedback: Collect reflections directly after interviews through short surveys, audio diaries, or follow-up conversations, allowing participants to comment on what they gained or how their perspectives shifted.
• Ongoing initiatives: Record whether participants continue to use photography as a reflective or advocacy tool after the interview, for example through personal projects, community sharing, or biodiversity documentation.
• Community feedback: Gather reflections from participants and audiences through surveys, comment books, or digital tools such as QR-linked feedback forms.