Watching images through mass media presents a challenge for understanding the complexities of different cultures within and outside the United States. Photographic images, in particular, are ubiquitous in our mediated world, populating old and interactive media and many times serving to perpetuate established codes of understanding and action. Therefore, many times, simplistic representations of other cultures are disseminated through the mass media without challenge. Visual literacy is, hence, an important tool for critically decoding images and for deconstructing cultural stereotypes (Kellner, 2010). Beyond solely analyzing visual images, the exercise described here attempts to generate a different understanding of cultures by asking students to create visual representations anew and find links that connect their experience with what they see and capture. Therefore, in the creative act of producing a photographic portfolio and an accompanying essay, students develop a deeper understanding of cultural difference. References and suggested readings are provided.