Photograph of the Future

1. The facilitator gives an overview of the assignment: participants are asked to go outside and come back with one photo that symbolizes a desirable aspect of whatever change or transformation they hope to see (related to the topic of the workshop or event). Emphasize that the photograph can be as abstract or as literal as each person wants and as intuitive or as logical.
2. First, request that each person reflect on what types of changes or transformations they are hoping for in relation to the issue at hand. This could be prompted by a specific question, or questions, or be left more open ended.
3. Second, they are invited to take some time alone and in silence (5 minutes or so)  to walk or sit and see what naturally grabs their attention. If it helps, people are welcome to take notes.
4. Next, they take a photograph of an image, composition, or object that represents the change. In fact, some people may not even be certain of why they have taken the specific photograph, but through discussion can discover meaning.
5. Participants reconvene in small groups of 3-5 people and share their experiences and photographs one at a time. Designate one person as note taker for each round of sharing. At least 2 minutes should be allowed for each person to explain their photograph without interruption and another 2-3 minutes for others in the group to ask questions or share their interpretations.  
6. Key insights can be shared from each group to the plenary.
7. Provide a way for photographs to be emailed or uploaded onto a central computer so that they can be shared.

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