Exploring the Self Through Photography is a practitioners' guide to using image-making in group settings. There is little room for visual theory in this short practical guide and indeed it is not required. After a brief discussion about the role that images play in people's lives, both consciously and subconsciously, the book lists a wide range of activities involving photography that can be used by, among others, occupational therapists, art therapists, social workers and teachers. Certainly there is great scope here to harness the power of images to bond groups and provide stimulation for participants' imaginations. Craig emphasises that images are interwoven with people's identities – the stories they tell about themselves, and the face they present to the world. Group exercises involving photography, she argues, can thus help individuals along the path towards self-expression as well as providing the means for them to ‘step back’ and reflect on their life and relationships (p. 24). Taking photographs, it is argued, is a less threatening creative venture for participants than, say, painting a picture, which might make a participant feel at risk of being judged by unknown technical and aesthetic standards: photography it seems is an ideal place to start for people with little background in visual arts or visual modes of expression.

Most of the text comprises the exercises devised by Craig. Each exercise is given a name, such as ‘A Special Memory’ or ‘If I Knew Then What I Know Now’, and for each exercise there is: a list of requirements; a warm-up activity; a concise explanation of the main activity; and, occasionally, some reflections on practice. In general, however, the book would have benefited from fewer exercises covered in more depth and with visual examples. The ‘reflections on practice’ sections could also have been extended to include more in-depth analysis of the relative merits of each exercise, as well as their possible pitfalls. As it is, there is too little detail on the types of groups that might suit each of the exercises. Craig specialises in working with groups of older people and people with dementia, but it was not clear to me how many of the activities described could feasibly be used in groups of older adults with dementia. If I were to facilitate one of the activities, I would want to know that it had been tried and tested with the type of group I was running. Equally, it seems that the majority of the activities described require the actual photographs to be taken outside of the group, e.g. on a walk, on a beach or in the family home. The photographs are then brought to the group to discuss or physically adapt in some way. The limitations on what can actually be photographed in the closed group setting needs to be noted so that practitioners looking for self-contained exercises can adapt the activities to suit the capabilities and time available to their group members.

This problem is not, though, found in the exercises such as ‘Finding the Untold Story’ or ‘Images as Mosaic’, working on family album photos or ‘found’ images in a static location. There are also some suggestions of activities involving dressing-up, which could offer an opportunity to be more playful and stimulate the imagination further through role-playing (p. 73). The activities described become more introspective as the book progresses. Craig believes that photography can stimulate change in people, offering fresh perspectives and a window into their thought processes, but she draws the line at fully engaging in the psycho-therapeutic tradition of ‘photo-therapy’ (seeMartin and Spence Reference Martin and Spence1985), partly because she does not want to restrict the use of the activities to those with specialist psychotherapeutic skills. There is a slight contradiction here because she also wants to demonstrate the role that photography can play in the expression of deeply-held emotions. More reflections on some of the pitfalls associated with the activities, or a clearer indication of which would be suitable for use with which types of groups, would help group facilitators and practitioners avoid ‘getting in too deep’. After all, while images can help promote positive self-identity, used without care and thorough planning, they can also exacerbate people's deepest insecurities.

For practitioners thinking of using photography as a creative tool within groups, I would recommend dipping into this book for ideas for activities which they can then adapt to suit their specific purpose. If, however, practitioners want to feel confident using photography to encourage emotional revelations and do ‘emotion work’, then I would recommend consulting additional sources on establishing group safety and emotional containment, which are only superficially dealt with in this book.