Auto‐photovoice: A reflexive extension of photovoice methodology and its practice in a COVID‐quarantined community psychology course

This article introduces “auto‐photovoice,” a novel self‐reflexive extension of photovoice methodology where participant–researchers turn the camera on themselves to explore their personal experiences and observations of a phenomenon. In our exemplar project, students and faculty codesigned and implemented auto‐photovoice methodology during a 10‐week online community psychology graduate seminar during the COVID‐19 pandemic quarantine. Our photos addressed the prompt, “What inequities do we experience and witness in well‐being related to COVID‐19?” The initial analysis of weekly discussions of the photos identified 24 themes regarding COVID‐19 impacts, which we later synthesized into four more general themes: (1) systemic social injustices, (2) abuses of power, (3) inequitable access, and (4) differential experiences among workers. As participant–researchers practicing auto‐photovoice, we created a sense of community and an empowering pedagogy in our first remote online class during the initial weeks of the COVID‐19 pandemic. As a methodology rooted in epistemologies that value reflexive and participatory knowledge creation, auto‐photovoice facilitates us working empathically and authentically with communities in projects characterized by epistemic respect and justice.