Last updated: April 19, 2020
Article
How to Read a Photo
Left image
Historic photograph of the Hale o Keawe platform before temple restoration (circa late 1960s)
Credit: NPS Photo
Right image
Hale o Keawe today with fully restored platform and temple
Credit: NPS Photo
How to Read a Photograph Activity
A printable PDF verison of this activity can be downloaded here: Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau NHP How to Read a Photograph Activity (PDF 239 KB)
Historic photographs can tell a complex story, if you know how to read them! Take a closer look by following these simple steps.
- Find a photo to use for the activity. Visit Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau NHP's Collections page for more images.
- Examine the photograph for 10 seconds, describe what you see.
- Divide the image into quadrants and examine each one closely. Did you notice anything that you didn't notice before? Write down your additional observations.
- Break down what you see in the photograph. What can you deduce or infer from your observations? Analyze the following elements and ask yourself these example questions:
- People
- How many people are there? Are they all part of the same group?
- What is their gender, age, or relationship to each other?
- What are they wearing?
- Can you identify any of the people?
- Time
- What is the time of day, season, year, period, or century?
- Activities or Events
- What are the people doing?
- What event is taking place?
- Objects, Plants or Animals
- Can you identify any plant or animal species?
- Are the animals wild or domestic?
- Do you recognize any objects? What are they used for?
- Place
- Is it rural or urban?
- Indoors or outdoors?
- Describe the buildings, landscape and other features.
- Can you identify where the photograph was taken?
- Photo Title and Caption
- Is there a title or a caption? What does it tell you about the photograph?
Extensions
Historic vs. Modern Photograph Comparison
Do this activity twice. Once with a historic photograph and once with a modern photograph of the same area. What is different about the two photographs? What is the same?
Tell a Story
Use your observations, deductions, and inferences to tell a story about the photograph.