Since I moved to
Tasmania a couple of months ago, around the time I started this blog, I have
developed a routine. Every day, around three PM, I take my dog and my camera
down to the beach for a walk and some photography. We spend one to two hours
down there, I get some great shots and some great practice, Gypsy the Dog gets
some exercise and we go home refreshed and relaxed.
(Gypsy the Dog - Only photo I have relevant to the topic)
For the last week or
so, though, I’ve slowly found myself changing the pattern. Specifically, I have
stopped taking my camera with me. Why don’t I take my camera anymore? Because
the beach is becoming more and more populated with teens in bikinis and families
with small children. I found myself spending most of my time with my camera at
my side, lens down, enduring the glares of pimply boyfriends and the pointed,
suspicious stares of parents. And as summer fast approaches down under, the
situation is only going to get more complex.
I was thinking about
this the other day and found myself thinking about the ethics of candid
photography (I prefer ‘candid photography’ to ‘street photography’ because ‘street’
conjures a limited sphere of consideration, i.e. the street. ‘Candid’ speaks
more to the topic, photography capturing the moment as it occurs). Now, I can’t
speak to the street photographer’s code of conduct because I don’t know if one
exists, so I certainly don’t know what, if anything, it contains. And I do not
claim to be right, nor do I claim that my views are any more valid than anyone
else’s. The following is simply my personal honest opinion, given in the hope
of opening a dialogue, getting a discussion going.
The first rule I
gave myself when I started photography was that I would not take a photo of any
person under 18 years of age, or that I perceive to be under 18 (and don’t more
people look like kids as you get older?!), without the informed consent and
presence of a parent or legal guardian. And my reasoning for this rule was
justified quite recently.
I was walking on the
beach with Gypsy, the camera in my hand pointed at the ground and my eyes
turned seaward and skyward in the hope of seeing a bird in flight that I could
practice my tracking on. Suddenly a woman came striding toward me insisting
that there would be dire consequences should she discover I had taken photos of
her children. My first response, upon glancing around myself, was to ask, “What
children?” to which she responded with a pointed finger indicating 2 forms a
not-inconsiderable distance away that, with effort, resolved themselves into
moving objects which may well have been children (I marvel at the eyes of a
mother, to be able to see a camera at a distance from which I struggled to see
a person!). I assured the woman that I had no interest in photographing her
children. Somewhat mollified, and with one last thinly veiled threat, she
trudged back to her children.
I’m going to give
you a moment to let your imagination run wild. Imagine what would have happened
if I had indeed taken a photo of this irate woman’s children. I can easily see
the police being called in, the attention of every beach goer fixed on myself
and the woman cursing at me as a predator and a pervert.
So, no pictures of
children for me. Personal choice.
I also won’t take a
photo of a woman in a swimsuit of any kind without said woman’s expressed
permission. And if given such permission I would make damn sure she had all my
contact details and I had all of hers so that everything was seen to be above
board. This second rule comes from my own sense of respect for others. In a
global culture dominated by physical ideals that are beyond the reach of most
of us mere mortals it is, in my opinion, important to respect the fact that a
woman in a swimsuit may feel self-conscious or vulnerable. If I were to
approach a woman for a photograph I would first give her ‘no’ as an acceptable
and welcome option (“I kinda like the sound of ‘no’ so feel free to say it if
you want!”), then, if she consented, I would work with her to get the very best
image I could, which I would be sure to get processed and out to her as soon as
I got home.
This one seems like
commonsense to me, but I thought I’d chuck it in. If I take a picture and someone
has a reasonable objection to the image (they are in the image and don’t want
to be) I will happily delete it in front of them so that they know it is done. It
just makes sense, doesn’t it? It’s not costing me anything and it’s making them
more comfortable, so why not?
Finally, if a person
doesn’t want their photo taken, don’t
take their photo! Honestly, I did not think this would need to be said. It
struck me as a given. But then I read this article in Australian Photography (http://www.australianphotography.com/news/behind-the-lens-shoot-from-the-hip)
and I thought again.
In this article
photographer Darran Leal describes two different methods he and his son used to
capture images of people in Morrocco despite the fact that they knew said
people did not want to be photographed. Now, I have no problem with the second
method Leal describes in the article.
Using this method
the photographer composes an image and then waits for a person to enter the
frame before snapping the picture. This makes it obvious to the potential
subject that the photographer has taken a picture and affords them the
opportunity to raise any objections they might have. So long as the
photographer is willing to delete the image if they are asked, I have no issue
with the technique described.
The first method described in the article, when considering the particular situation Leal and his son were in, is unethical in my
personal honest opinion. In this method they would shoot from the hip,
concealing their intention to take a photo of a subject they know does not want to be photographed.
I do not believe that we as photographers have the right to subvert the wishes
of our subjects simply because we want an image. Any subject of a candid photo
must be afforded the opportunity to express their wishes, and we as
photographers must respect those wishes.
Everything I have written
here is my opinion, informed by my own beliefs, developed out of my own experiences.
I happily accept that others have different opinions and beliefs based of
different experiences. I welcome the fact!
Hopefully this gets
that dialogue I mentioned earlier going; I would really value the thoughts of
others, particularly street photographers. Because let’s face it, I am a nature
photographer. I shoot landscapes, wildlife, macro and dogs (‘cos’ who doesn’t love
dogs?) so what do I know about street photography? I’m only writing this piece because, whilst in
pursuit of wildlife, I was accosted by a protective mother.
And that’s the thing
to keep in mind. It doesn’t matter what you want to shoot, if there are other
people around you have to be aware of your rights and your obligations (Here’s
a handy link for the Aussie photographer who wants to get informed! https://www.artslaw.com.au/info-sheets/info-sheet/street-photographers-rights/
). Ultimately, I think it comes down to commonsense. Engage your brain before
you engage your shutter and consider not just what the scene looks like, but
what the scene might imply for yourself and those within it.
I hope you enjoyed
the read!
Please check out my
portfolio at:
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find me at:
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@BobCartPhoto on Twitter
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