Collecting digital images represents the greatest challenge for schools with limited equipment. Digital cameras are easy to use but most schools are lucky to have one camera for the whole school.

We found that one camera could be shared easily between four students, especially if we gave very specific instructions of images to look out for in each location. Using a video camera connected to the computer via a digitising board has the advantage of showing the images on screen before they are taken and is an excellent way to turn making portraits into a group activity. We involved twelve students at a time around one camera/computer unit.

We were lucky because we were able to put together two video cameras for the portrait session and four digital cameras to collect the background images in the local area. This enabled us to collect the images in three one hour sessions. One hour was spent with the whole group making portraits and then the group was split in half for a session each taking photographs around the school.

Using one camera would require classes to work in smaller groups and spread the process over several weeks. Collecting background images could even be a process spread over previous terms in which the students create their own image bank from school visits or by scanning images from home. A small portrait studio can be set up in the corner of the classroom, with the camera on a tripod, so that students could work in small groups to make pictures of themselves.