A very interesting piece, Jorge. I see ethics as being the ability to tell truths without fear or favour. If I ever hear that a business, etc, has a press secretary or “spin doctor” I’m on alert immediately as these roles are there to persuade the public that black is white.
I hadn't associated the increasing scrutiny of photography with its power. But that's a good point. I was reminded of the ag-gag laws in Canada. They carry prison sentences for people who take photos of animals being exploited. It's made to seem like the problem is taking photos, and thus the exploitation is normalized and even protected by law.
I often think about ethics in photography because of animal photojournalism. People who ask, "Is it ethical to publish photos of dead animals?" don't think about this when sharing steaks on their plates at restaurants or when walking past butchers with hanging animal bodies.
How we choose to compose also has a bearing on the viewer’s perception, I’d add. It brings to mind an old advert from my “yoof” for a newspaper. The first scene showed a punk-type person running towards an older person. The assumption is that they will mug the older person. The second pans out to show the punk running towards the older person because something is about to hit them from an overhead scaffold. They are trying to save them.
Thoughtful words. We all wrestle with ethics when we want to create photos that are less safe, especially when people are present. Then, we fall back on the familiar, and what we do ends up having little meaning. Thanks for making us think.
Hear, hear!
A very interesting piece, Jorge. I see ethics as being the ability to tell truths without fear or favour. If I ever hear that a business, etc, has a press secretary or “spin doctor” I’m on alert immediately as these roles are there to persuade the public that black is white.
I hadn't associated the increasing scrutiny of photography with its power. But that's a good point. I was reminded of the ag-gag laws in Canada. They carry prison sentences for people who take photos of animals being exploited. It's made to seem like the problem is taking photos, and thus the exploitation is normalized and even protected by law.
I often think about ethics in photography because of animal photojournalism. People who ask, "Is it ethical to publish photos of dead animals?" don't think about this when sharing steaks on their plates at restaurants or when walking past butchers with hanging animal bodies.
I agree fully with all of your points.
How we choose to compose also has a bearing on the viewer’s perception, I’d add. It brings to mind an old advert from my “yoof” for a newspaper. The first scene showed a punk-type person running towards an older person. The assumption is that they will mug the older person. The second pans out to show the punk running towards the older person because something is about to hit them from an overhead scaffold. They are trying to save them.
Insightful and inspiring as ever Jorge. Apologies that it’s taken me months to get to it!
Thank you Jorge for share this Insightful and inspiring text!
Thoughtful words. We all wrestle with ethics when we want to create photos that are less safe, especially when people are present. Then, we fall back on the familiar, and what we do ends up having little meaning. Thanks for making us think.
Beautifully written, Jorge, and very true.
Fantastic article