IELTS Speaking Sample – Describe a photo you have taken

Describe a photo you have taken

You should say:

• Where you took it.

• When you took the photo.

• What/who is in the photo.

• How you felt about the photo.

Band 8 Sample

I am going to talk about a photo that I took some years ago when my family went on holiday in Phan Thiet beach. The picture captured the memory of a very happy family. This is a priceless possession to me and I would like to keep it with me for the rest of my life.

I have seen it thousands times and still I look at it with an indescribabledelight. In the picture, everyone was smiling cheerfully. My father’s eyes were sparkling and the corners of his eyes crinkled. To tell the truth, it was very rare to see my father’s smile as he always kept a serious facial expression. Needless to say, my mother was standing next to him with warm happiness glowing in her face. My younger brothers and sisters were not really photogenic because they were bursting out laughing for a reason I could not remember clearly.

In the back ground, the sun looked like it was gradually receding into the waters below. The sky consisted of an assortment of shades, a blend of reds, oranges and yellows. The water below was mirroring this effect. The scene was beautiful.

I have to admit that I know very little about the technical aspects of camera and to be honest I take photos from my own preference rather than maintaining aspects a professional photographer would do. Though the photo was not professionally shot, it is still the most treasured photo I could have.

Vocabulary highlights

capture: catch
possession: something that you own
indescribable: so extreme or unusual it is almost impossible to describe
delight: a feeling of great pleasure
cheerfully: in a way that shows you are happy
sparkle: shine brightly
crinkle: form a lot of thin folds or lines
facial expression: a gesture executed with the facial muscles
photogenic: looking attractive in photographs
recede: move gradually away from
an assortment of: a variety of
mirror: show the image of
technical: connected with the practical use of machinery

By ZIM Academic English School