A story is never simply told—it is shaped in the telling. A photograph is never simply taken—it holds onto an instant while time moves on. Oral History x Photography is a participatory methodology that integrates oral history and portrait photography, creating a dialogue between narrative and the visual in an imagetext—a space where text and image exist in constant negotiation. Drawing on a community initiative I conducted in collaboration with university students and local participants in Manta, Ecuador, we will use this campfire session to examine how Oral History x Photography operates in practice, the ethical complexities of integrating images and narratives of others, and how new meanings emerge through this process. Together, we will reflect on who—or what—ultimately decides what is seen, told, and understood.
