Barbara Turk Niskac

Some Thoughts on Ethnographic Fieldwork and Photography Barbara Turk Niskac

Drawing on the existing documenting parallels between ethnographic fieldwork and photography, the author discusses dilemmas connected to the relationship between the ethnographer and his research participants. She argues that the ideas of sensory ethnography and arts practices, as well as a reflexive approach to visual anthropology, especially collaborative and participatory methods, could prove useful in transcending boundaries between the researcher and research participants. Furthermore, the experience of taking pictures might help us towards a better understanding of ethnographic fieldwork. For this purpose, the author offers an analysis of a number of photographs.