IELTS Speaking Section Part 1, 2 and 3 - Photographs

IELTS Speaking Section Part 1 - Talking about Familiar Topics

Taking Photographs

Scenery

Do you like taking photographs?

Yes, on occasion. When there's a special moment in my life like graduation or school reunion, I will definitely capture it. But I don't take pictures very often, only on certain occasion do I bring camera and take pictures. Some people may like taking pictures with their phone on daily basis, like when they take pictures of their food, their outfit, or their pets. I don't really use my phone to take pictures.

What kind of photos do you like to take?

I like taking pictures of natural beauty and old buildings. In my country, there are a lot of remnants of past Dutch colonialism like offices, buildings or monuments. I personally like to take pictures of the old Dutch houses because of their unique design and the history behind them. Besides old buildings, I also like taking pictures of mountains, sunset, forest, and the sea.

An Old Building

How do you become interested in photography?

No, I'm not interested in photography per se. I take pictures mostly just for fun. Sometimes I take pictures because a friend of mine asks me to, like during a school reunion, but it doesn't mean that I'm particularly interested in photography.

Do you prefer taking pictures of people or scenery?

I rather take pictures of scenery. Well, I live in the city and all I see here are shops, traffic, working people, and skyscrapers. Enjoying the nature is not something that I can do everyday, so it always becomes a special moment for me, a moment that is worth to take pictures of. 

Do you prefer taking photos with camera or phone?

Personally, I'd rather take pictures with my phone, because it is much more handy. I liked taking pictures with camera, because a picture taken by phone was not of high quality back then. But now, phone camera has been improved and so is the quality of the picture. There are some additional features and configurations that will enable us to take good pictures.

IELTS Speaking Section Part 2 - Self-Presentation

Photography

Describe a an object that you photographed

You should say:

What was it?

Why did you photograph it?

What do you use the photo for?

How do you feel about that photo?

What was it?

I took a picture of a beautiful sunset when I was transiting in Hong Kong International Airport. I was on my way back from the United States, when I saw this beautiful scenery from the airport terminal. I decided to take a picture of it. I took a picture of the sunset with my phone camera so it wasn't of a good quality. I really enjoy taking pictures of that beautiful view, nevertheless.

Why did you photograph it?

I always like the sunset, especially in places where it looks romantic, such as in beaches on top of a mountain. My favorite sunset is the one that I saw in Kuta, Bali. It was a perfect combination of warm light and waves in the sea that I found extremely addicting.

What do you use the photo for?

I use the picture as a cover photo on facebook. It's still there anyway, the picture is still the best picture I have ever taken, after all these years.

 

How do you feel about that photo?

I feel nostalgic every time I see the photo. I went to United States for a summer school program and in this program, I found a lot of good friends. There was so much fun and memories there. I don't get to see them very often now because we're all busy growing up, but the picture helps me remember the happiness that we had when we were young.

Beautiful Sunset in Hong Kong

IELTS Speaking Section Part 3 - Discussion

Memorable photos

Do people still keep memorable photos these days?

Some of them do. For example, when people are attending a concert, they like taking pictures to capture the moment. However, there are also some people who would rather enjoy the moment instead of busy taking pictures. Some people like framing photos taken on a special event like graduation or wedding, but there are also people who simply save the photos in digital form.

Have you ever framed a photo?

Not really, no. But, I took a picture with my former girlfriend on my graduation day and she framed it. She gave it to me as a gift. We are no longer together but I decided to just keep it anyway.

Why do some people like to take a photo of themselves while some other people don't?

There are various reasons why people avoid camera. Some people do not really like taking a picture of themselves because they think that there are other things that are interesting to take pictures of, like scenery, or other objects. Some other people do not like taking pictures of themselves for privacy reason or because they are not very confident.

Have you ever attended a photo exhibition?

Yes, but it was a long time ago. I went to a museum owned by one of the biggest cigarette companies in Indonesia. They have a museum that displays the history of the company from the era when cigarettes were produced manually until now when some of the production process already uses machinery. The company still produces cigarettes traditionally because they are committed to being a labor-intensive cigarette producer. The photo exhibition tells us not only about the history and the process of producing cigarettes, but also the mission of the company. 

Have you ever visited where taking photos is prohibited? 

Yes, I have. I visited the Tenement Museum at 103 Orchard Street, New York, and visitors are not allowed to take pictures. I went there for academic purpose anyway, so most of the time I would rather ask some questions, pay attention to what the tour guide said, and take notes .

Why do you think it is prohibited to take photos in that place?

I'm not really sure why they have such rule, but I think it has something to do with the purpose of the visit itself. The visit to the Tenement Museum is always accompanied by a tour guide, who is an expert in history, and visitors are expected to pay attention to their explanation. This is a museum anyway, what's the point of visiting a museum if we are busy taking pictures instead of learning about the history.

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