Visualising the ritualistic practices of the Tenggerese through photo

Abstract

Photography can be manipulated to misrepresent information, this study considers definitions and assumptions that can be important for providing a trustworthy representation of research participants. The use of visual methods by anthropologists and ethnographers are taken into consideration. The concepts of reflexivity and social desirability biasness are reviewed to evaluate their impact on research, and to investigate ways to minimise their effects on this study. Following a review on such approaches adopted by documentary photographers, I argue that there are ways to enhance the truthful representation of documentary participants by adopting an ethnographic style in the documentary process.