ETHICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Ethical literacy is about having the skills to make sound ethical decisions. These skills include things like critical thinking, situational awareness, and cultural sensitivity. In June 2023 I attended an understanding ethics study day with the photo ethics centre, to develop skills to think critically about ethics in their work.

My notes:

We make ethical decisions at every stage of photographing. Ethics are the principles that guide a person’s behaviour.

• Ethics can be: Subjective, contextual (geographic/cultural – where & why), genre & institutions/guidelines/policies
• Fluidity is important, interpretations are different – principles-based approach to ethics gives us rules to navigate and adapt.

We have the power to select what and how is photographed & power to determine how it is pictured.

Bias- we all have our own assumptions and need to be aware of them –

Be aware how our aesthetic choices are going to involve: stereotypes, top down or on a level

We viewed a Ted Talk on The Danger of a Single Story (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2009): This presents a picture of people as 1 thing & 1 thing only and this is what they become. People are defined by the power of another person but to make it the definitive of the person.

Q: What kinds of ethical principles are important in photography?

• Facts don’t mispresent.
• Give context /don’t not give context or change.
• Don’t change facts postproduction.
• Don’t share unless permission – consent? A human right to make decisions about yourself/autonomy.
• Terminology – don’t use ‘shooting/capturing’
• Ask, should I photograph or intervene, or not?
• Caption carefully

A STATEMENT OF ETHICS is a declaration of your ethical principles and a description of how you enact those principles in your photography practice. To make a statement it was suggested:

1. Self-reflect:
2. Why do you do the work that you do? What drives you?
3. What ethical principles guide you in your life and your work?
4. What photographers do you admire? What do you admire about them?
5. What people or ideas have shaped how you think about photography or about your role as a photographer?
6. What do you want to work toward or improve about your practice?
7. Begin with principles, then identify actions. For example, it is good to say that you value dignity, but it is far better to explain what dignity means to you, whose dignity you are talking about, and how you will uphold dignity in your practice.
8. Select the key ethical principles which you feel are central to your work.
9. Craft a definition for each principle you have selected.
10. Identify tangible actions for each principle that can help you to enact it within your photographic practice.

I have subsequently revisited the website of the Ethics centre and note:

1. Visual story telling is a collaboration. Collaboration is a kind of insurance policy against the reproduction of stereotypes, by inviting others’ views ‘photographers are less likely to reproduce their own assumptions about a community, place, or person’ in the images: Listening sessions  are opportunities to  integrate opportunities for feedback. Sharing images with community members to listen to their reflections.
2. A photographer’s positionality shapes the stories they tell. Practice reflexivity, what assumptions do I carry? What biases do I have? Who am I in relation to the story I want to tell? Am I the right person to tell this story? ‘you need to be conscious of your unconscious bias’. ‘Traditionally documentary photography has been concerned with photographing disadvantaged, underprivileged, exploited communities’ J(ustin Carey cited in Dodd, 2009:5)
3. The language we use matters: Verbal and visual language.eg misuse of shooting/capturing.
4. Consent is a dialogue that takes time. Full consent is a long/ongoing conversation.
5. Transparency is key for building trust. Trust at all times, including between and following photographing.
6. Photography is powerful. It is universal. It can be used to enforce or challenge stereotypes. Let go if you have a power position.
7. Good intentions are important, but they are not always enough. Look at the objective and your own reasons for documenting a subject. Understanding your motivation is important self-reflection. Understanding your motivation and where the roots of the work will help you to understand the impact the work is likely to have in the world.  P15
8. Photography ethics change. New knowledge and understanding, changes in society, technology and practices means that our responses to ethical decisions may change.

References:

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2009) The danger of a single story Directed by Adichie, C.N. At: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story (Accessed  19/10/2024).

Dodd, S. (2024) Eight lessons from the photography ethics podcast. Photography Ethics centre. At: https://nkssite6.photo.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2237e-eightlessons-english.pdf

Dodd, S. (2020) On self-reflection and vulnerability in photography. At: https://www.photoethics.org/content/2020/7/14/on-self-reflection-and-vulnerability-in-photography (Accessed 19/10/2024).

Resources:

• List of resources by other people and organisations: https://www.photoethics.org/resources
• Articles & Reports (s.d.) At: https://www.photoethics.org/articles (Accessed  19/10/2024).

MY ETHICAL CODE: Defines my principles, and how I will enact these.

Principle: My work will maintain my freedom of thought and expression, whilst not harming others

Enacting: I will be mindful of the possible impact of my images and words on others and recognise other’s perspectives. Then I will consider whether I should exhibit or publish.

Principle: I support the protection of sensitive environmental locations

Enacting: With an awareness of whether there is a need to protect a habitat or location, I may choose to keep it anonymous, by not sharing with others where my work was captured

Principle: Whilst working I will not restrict anyone else’s access or enjoyment of the location

Enacting: When in a location I am mindful of others in a location and don’t restrict their access or enjoyment of it.

Principle: I am considerate of the environment

Enacting: When working in the landscape I will leave no trace behind. I will be aware of how the landscape is I enter, tread carefully, and leave everything as I find it.

Principle: I try to give as much context as is necessary and do not change or manipulate the context of a subject, if it misrepresents or harms another.

Enacting: When shooting and editing I am mindful that my representation should not cause harm to others.

Drafted June 2023 and revisited August 2024