Dating in later life has already been the object of much research, whether using quantitative or qualitative methods. These studies notably examined the functions of dating in later life. However, the methodologies employed to conduct such studies were only briefly discussed. Discussing methodology seems all the more important since questions related to dating in later life touch on very intimate areas of experience. Indeed, how can one possibly conduct research on such an intimate topic? This article aims to give some possible answers to this question by considering a visual ethnographic research conducted in France among four elderly people. First of all, it explores how and to what extent it was possible to conduct the research despite the impossibility of spending an extended period of time with the four protagonists, by organizing scattered encounters with the participants in their homes. In the second place, it suggests that using visual methods - that is, deploying the camera as a methodological tool - may be an asset rather than an obstacle when studying such an intimate topic
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