Examining the influence of communication technology, image technicalities, and image narrative on environmental awareness in the digital age: a study of worlds top 20 environmental photography winners 2020
List of Authors
  • Mohd Nor Shahizan Ali , Mohd Pirdaus Mat Husain

Keyword
  • Environmental photography, photography documentary, digital era, narratives, content analysis

Abstract
  • In today's digital era, photography has experienced a transformative shift, revolutionizing how we capture, share, and engage with images. Advancements in technology and the widespread availability of digital devices have made photography more accessible than ever. This has resulted in a proliferation of visual content across various platforms, shaping our visual culture and influencing societal perceptions. With the rise of social media and online platforms, photography has become a powerful tool for self-expression, storytelling, and documentation. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to identify the relationship between communication technology, image technicalities, and image narrative in documentary photographic images World Top 20 Environmental Photography Winner 2020 to audience awareness in the digital age. A quantitative approach (content analysis) was used to answer the study's objectives. The study data set was analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 27 to see whether there is a significant relationship. The study results found that the highest βeta value was the narrative image variable of 0.939, followed by the βeta value of the technical image of 0.035, and the last is the βeta value of the communication technology of 0.025. This suggests that image narrative variables are significantly related to interpreting documentary photo images of environmental issues that shape consciousness. The study's implications are anticipated to provide stakeholders insights into the critical elements of photography, serving as a guide for producing high-quality photographic images with meaningful content and effectively educating the public about environmental issues.

Reference
  • 1. Aaltonen, J. (2016). Spirits and ceremonies: How to construct religious experience in documentary film. Journal of Religion & Film, 20(1), Article 15.
    2. Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research (12th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
    3. Bader, J. (2018). The use of photography as a mode of social and historical investigation. Critique d’art. https://doi.org/10.4000/CRITIQUEDART.36618
    4. Banks, M., & Zeitlyn, D. (2015). Visual methods in social research (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.
    5. Bedi, K., & Varga, M. (2021). Visual perception and attitudes of students toward the role and importance of photography: Students' creative and artistic photographic works through project-based learning. International Journal of Scholarly Papers for Media and Communications, 14, 23-34. https://doi.org/10.14254/1800-7074/14-3/2
    6. Bleiker, R., & Amy Kay. (2007). Representing HIV/AIDS in Africa: Pluralist photography and local empowerment. International Studies Quarterly, 51(1), 139–163. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4621705
    7. Covert, H., & Koro, M. (2015). Layers of narratives, images, and analysis. Qualitative Research Journal, 15, 306. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-08-2014-0042
    8. Creswell, J., & Garrett, A. (2008). The "movement" of mixed methods research and the role of educators. South African Journal of Education, 28, 321-333. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v28n3a176
    9. Dhir, A., Kaur, P., & Rajala, R. (2021). Visual content on social media: Impact on user engagement and communication. Journal of Business Research, 135, 494-504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.05.014
    10. Farnsworth, K. D., Ducey, M., & Carroll, N. (2021). The impact of documentary photographs on environmental concern: An experimental investigation. Visual Communication Quarterly, 28(2), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2021.1895864
    11. Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2006). How to design and evaluate research in education (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing.
    12. Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2012). Educational research: Competencies for analysis and application (10th ed.). Pearson, Upper Saddle River.
    13. Günay, M. (2021). Design in Visual Communication. Art and Design Review. https://doi.org/10.4236/ADR.2021.92010
    14. Jones, M., Holmes, K., & Pattison-Williams, J. (2020). The impact of environmental photography on advocacy: A case study of Greenpeace's Arctic campaign. Environmental Communication, 14(3), 382–396. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2019.1668199
    15. Haila, Y., & Levins, R. (1992). Humanity and nature: Ecology, science and society. Pluto Press.
    16. Kim, J. (2016). Understanding narrative inquiry. Sage Publications.
    17. Lana, J., & Chen, W. (2021). An analysis of the characteristics of cross-media photography based on visual communication design. Frontiers in Art Research Language, 3(2), 30-34.
    18. Lehmuskallio, A., Hӓkkinen, J., & Seppӓnen, J. (2019). Photorealistic computer-generated images are difficult to distinguish from digital photographs: A case study with professional photographers and photo-editors. Visual Communication, 18(4), 427-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470357218759809
    19. Leon, S. (2018). The meaning in photography. Routledge.
    20. Leyva-Moral, J., Aguayo-González, M., Folch, C., Rafael, S., & Gómez-Ibáñez, R. (2022). Nursing students' perceptions of the efficacy of narrative photography as a learning method: a cross-sectional study. Nursing & Health Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1111/nhs.12932
    21. Li, Y., & Xie, Y. (2020). Is a picture worth a thousand words? An empirical study of image content and social media engagement. Journal of Marketing Research, 57(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022243719881113
    22. Lu, Y., Liu, S., & Bai, Y. (2022). Analysis of digital photography technology in the era of big data. Mobile Information Systems, 2022, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3880755
    23. McMullin, C. (2023). Transcription and qualitative methods: Implications for third sector research. Voluntas, 34, 140–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-021-00400-3
    24. Moran, M. J., & Tegano, D. W. (2020). Moving toward visual literacy: Photography as a language of teacher inquiry. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 7(1), 1-20.
    25. Nabi, R., & Green, M. (2015). The role of a narrative's emotional flow in promoting persuasive outcomes. Media Psychology, 18, 137–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2014.912585
    26. Neuendorf, K., & Kumar, A. (2016). Content analysis. In Encyclopedia of communication research methods. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118541555.wbiepc065
    27. Page, J. T., & Duffy, M. (2021). Visual communication: Insights and strategies. John Wiley & Sons.
    28. Naga, V., Challa, S., Padmalatha, P., & Vamsi, B. (2022). Influence of relationship marketing variables on social media marketing. The Empirical Economics Letters, pp. 20, 241–249.
    29. Sæther, S. Ø. (2020). Why photography? Why photography? N. pag. Print.
    30. Scott, C. (2019). The eco-anarchist potential of environmental photography. The Routledge Companion to Photography Theory. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315727998-18
    31. Selvin, E. (2017). The beauty of documentary photography. Zekri Publisher.
    32. Seppänen, J., & Väliverronen, E. (2003). Visualizing biodiversity: The role of photographs in environmental discourse. Science as Culture, 12, 59-85. https://doi.org/10.1080/0950543032000062263
    33. Wang, Y., Chen, Y., & Zhou, X. (2021). Visual communication in the digital age: An empirical study of Instagram use. Journal of Business Research, pp. 129, 412–421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.042