IELTS Speaking Part 2 & 3 Sample Band 9 – Describe a photo of yourself that was taken by others

Describe a photo of yourself that was taken by others

You should say:

• What’s in it
• When it has taken
• Who took that photo for you
• And explain why you like it so well

Band 9 Model Answer

There was a time when photos where only taken by a camera, but now everything has changed. Computers and mobile phones have enabled people to take a lot of photos and I think people take billions of photos everyday in this world. I myself take so many photos that I sometimes forget which photograph have taken and when did I take it. There is one of my photographs which I like the most, taken by my aunt.

I happened to pay a visit to my aunt on the way to school, and I asked her to take a photo of me and her daughter. In this photographs which I am carrying my niece and she is smiling at me. My niece is quite small at that time and has a really cute face with pretty childlike expressions whereas I am grinning with the biggest smile on my face with one hand holding my niece. The photo was so loveable that I made it the wallpaper of my computer and whenever I open the computer the first thing I see on the computer is that photograph.

The photo was taken 4 years ago, and shows how time passed by and how the world changes. After looking at the photograph I remembered that my niece was crying a lot and my sister was giving her to the maid, but as I decided to hold her in my arms she got happy and smiled and that was the moment when the photograph was taken. The photograph shows a time when I was happy and a time when used to have an optimistic view of the world but now all optimism and love has just vanished from my life.

QUESTIONS FOR PART 3

How to become a professional photographer?

Put it this way, to become an expert at a particular field, a person needs specialized training and being a professional photographer is no exception. To excel in this field, you are supposed to have a keen eye for beauty, which means you can get the hang of  how to adjust the angles, zoom in or out so that everyone fits in the picture in the most appealing way. In a nutshell, everything can be learnt, and it is only a matter of time before a person becomes proficient at it.

Do you need a professional photographer for important events?

With the advent of smartphones with many built-in features for taking photo or video-taping, I doubt the necessity of hiring a professional photographer when it comes to certain events. I have seen many people use their Iphones to livestream the wedding or a birthday party with high-quality images with ease. Having said this, you won’t regret with the assistance of a professional cameraman or photographer, simply because you can obtain better quality images, or they can create an album or a video for you in a professional way. So, on grand occasions like a wedding ceremony at the church, a photographer seems to be a must

What kinds of devices do people like to use for taking photos these days?

There are two most common devices when it comes to taking photographs recently. The most common one is smartphone. With the development of technology and the appearance of smartphones, taking a high-quality selfie or a landscape picture becomes a piece of cake. Actually some brands like Sony offer HD photos and the users can adjust the dimensions to their liking. The second type is DSLR camera, which is quite a status symbol among those who love taking pictures. This is quite an advanced and professional way of taking a photo, which means that you have to change the focus and choose the right angle to Wendell the most beautiful pictures.

Why do some people like to keep photos? = Are photos important?

Well, the main reason why a number of people usually keep their photos is that photos Record sweet memories. No doubt when they grow up and become an old person, they can open their albums, see how they were some 30 years ago and spend a bit time on looking back at unforgettable memories of the bygone days! This gives them pleasure and more motivation to keep giving to the rest of their lives. People can also show these photos to their children or grandchildren and boast of their beauty somehow.

Has the way people take photos changed?

Yes, definitely. As I have mentioned, today digital age means that people use advanced hi-tech devices to take pictures like a smartphone or DSI.R camera. No longer do the youths have to take a bulky camera with them, a smartphone can do the job pretty well.

When do people smile?

Some people smile all the time, and by their smiles, we can judge that they are being over the moon because of something happy. On other occasions, a smile is treated as symbol of friendliness! and it’s commonly used as a part of our daily greetings! When we meet some acquaintance or a stranger, giving a smile shows our hospitality towards others, and helps to break the ice among people.