The Photo Ethics Podcast

In this episode, we talk with Tanya Habjouqa about reevaluation and responsibility. Tanya shares how her Circassian background motivates her work as she feels the diasporic community’s story was never told.  She reflects on how the process of printmaking has allowed her to forge a deeper physical connection with her art which can be healing. Tanya explains the countless ethical considerations involved in photographing Palestine including the topic of embedding as well as the targeting of journalists. She also discusses the different levels of involvement and responsibility involved in photographing a community and the impact of parachute journalism.What you’ll find inside: “I need to care about the community that I’m photographing, there needs to be a stake a personal stake.” (13.17)On printmaking: “There was something healing about that process but it was also just wow I can take a faint archival picture I can utilise images that I could not in our traditional photography realm.” (14.29)On art books: “It was this moment where I understood I was in a position where I could bring my documentary work and ethics but find new ways of layering bringing in history and overlaying texts.” (15.16)“The community who’s story you’re telling they should recognise themselves. You should invest time before picking up your camera, I really see photography as an intellectual practice.” (19.24)“You have the power and the responsibility of that archive, I don’t think you shouldn’t take the picture. Sometimes if there is something happening take it and then carefully carry that close to you and unpack where that should go or if it should go.” (21.02)“I think we have a responsibility to try to innovate in our image making and to be as layered and nuanced as possible.” (39.22)What does photography ethics mean to Tanya? “It’s a process of being thoughtful, evolved emotionally intelligent human beings and understanding that this is not a right, you worked very hard to get access.  You can tell there’s a difference between a parachute journo drop in snapshot, you can tell when you’ve been invited into the house and that there’s a degree of trust it’s very clear in the image and what’s reflected. It’s just a constant evaluation checking in with stake holders. There’s no key formula you also end up developing an intuition and trusting your intuition.” (40.33)Links:The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America by Sarah LewisDarcy PadillaMaureen CumminsSean HillenThe Book as the Trojan Horse of Art: Walter HamadyBetty BrinkThese macaques are used for entertaining. They’re also endangered.Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots

In this episode, we talk with Tiffany Fairey about visualising peace. Tiffany warns of the dangers of binaries and hierarchies in terms of the different forms of photography as it negates the importance of different perspectives. She highlights the complexity of the politics of visibility and the ethical considerations required when marginalised groups become visible through photography. Tiffany also explains peace photography and how it can be used to depict a desired future in contexts where conflict is still present.What you’ll find inside: “I felt really uncomfortable I guess about this idea of who’s taking the pictures and who’s telling the story. That idea that taking photos of someone is almost like putting words into their mouth.” (7.37)“Often in these projects a lot of the kind of benefits and the outcomes aren’t really anything to do with the image… really about facilitating something beyond the photography but also facilitating through and via photography.” (12.28)“It’s not like peace photography is against war photography and we must have one or the other. I think there’s a danger sometimes in photography that we have to think in terms of binaries or in terms of hierarchies.” (16.06)“The politics of visibility basically can not be straight forward when you’re working with groups that are traditionally silenced suddenly becoming visible and having their stories heard. It’s complicated as well because a lot of the times they’re not listened to, so there’s dangers of raising expectations that can’t be met through these projects. We’ve had complications around finances as well.” (22.25)“Within peace photography that is one of the key considerations are these images to be shared or not? There shouldn’t be an assumption that these projects are always about sharing images.” (32.31)“I think the idea of peace photography is asking us to really reassess what we think of as visually significant.” (40.17)“A photography of peace can make visible all these elements of peace that we might not always consider.” (41.03)What does photography ethics mean to Tiffany? “Essentially for me ethics means accountability and transparency in how you deal with others and communicate your work. There’s always the danger that the language of ethics end up obscuring what is actually happening, we can make it more complicated than it is. I worry a lot about people talking the talk about ethical photography but we don’t always walk the walk and it’s not simple to do that. I would say it’s this idea of ethics being grounded in transparent and accountable relationships with the people that we work with.” (41.52)Links:PhotoVoice Street Vision Anna BlackmanVoices in Exile TAFOS FotokidsNancy McGirr Ingrid Guyon PhotoVoice Statement of Ethical Practice - PhotoVoice - Projects, Training, Photography and Consultancy for Social ChangeLiz OrtonPeace Photography Guide | Imaging PeaceImaging Peace Everyday Peace IndicatorsAriella Azoulay

In this episode, we talk with Kimbra Audrey about healing. Kimbra shares how her self-portraiture practice is a way to reclaim power over her image and body after years of modelling. She discusses documenting her breast cancer journey through photography as well as the current issues with breast cancer representation in terms of race, gender and age. Kimbra challenges the phrase taking a photo as she incorporates sustainable practices into her work, trying to give rather than take. She also explains her decision to takes self-portraits nude as a way to distance herself from the fashion industry. What you’ll find inside: “I think that consent is the most important part of the relationship between any model and photographer and that clear boundaries should always be established before you even shoot. Also, clear explanation of where the images will be.” (7.50)“I learned to love of all of my feelings and the complexities of my emotions through my self-portraiture. I feel like in modelling I loved the parts that fit into patriarchal values.” (10.58)“It was also very healing to love my body when it was at its weakest and most sick and most vulnerable. And be able to find strength and empowerment in moments that were really really horrible and difficult.”  (13.16)“But it can be hard to draw the line in the middle range of like green washing or also I’ve discovered more recently pink washing which is essentially the same thing but for breast cancer… you really do have to dig deeper and find your own personal compass.” (18.43)“Just the phrase take a photo I have always had issue with because I’m not taking anything. I’m making I’m creating I’m making a self-portrait, I don’t want to take anything. I approach my photography the same way I approach everything in life and I want to give.” (20.22)What does photography ethics mean to Kimbra? “Photograph ethics are not separate in any way from my life ethics. Also really specifically in my situation because of the nature of my work and the self-portraits being so insular and solitary they are a representation of who I am … love, kindness and self-responsibility I focus on what I can do and that I think is reflected in my work.” (30.49)Links:Model AllianceThe Sustainable Darkroom

In this episode, we talk with Jesse Alexander about creative sustainability. Jesse discusses the nuances of rurality and place making as well as the urban bias present in landscape photography. He also explains how idealised images of agriculture are disconnected from their polluting impact. Jesse shares his ethical approach which focuses on the general messaging of his work and lowering his own consumption. He speaks on the ethical framework at Falmouth University, which invites reflection and innovation while allowing students to learn without shame. What you’ll find inside: “There is I think a very very inherent urban bias in landscape representation. It sort of links to other things like enclosure acts and a very distorted appreciation of the land in a very broad sense.” (9.11)“These images are really really pervasive I think, particularly around agricultural actually and its very disconnected. Unfortunately, the majority of agricultural practices are really bad, really polluting… the dominant narratives are quite different.” (12.06)“Does it increase consumption basically in a bad way? That’s sort of my core fundamental approach, the priority has to be about thinking about the messaging.” (16.24)“I do think if ethics are so far at the front and in such big bold letters then I think it can be a bit kind of restrictive. So, I think the thing I say is the MA course is a safe space to make mistakes.” (25.47)“At the time I kind of had a distinction between ethics and sustainability and then since that time I’ve really realised that actually they are two sides of the same coin.” (32.17)What does photography ethics mean to Jesse? “I think it is ultimately what your practice says, and what it says about you as well. Whether it is in like the really obvious messaging of the work or actually the kind of very subtle ways of how you go about working. I think it really does actually filter into all of those choices you make as a practitioner.”  (43.35)Links:David Campany Paul SeawrightPaul Graham: Troubled Land Clive Landen The Digging SeasonAdGreenAlbertJesse Alexander Alice CazenaveDawn WoolleyTamsin Green

In this episode, we talk with Heather Agyepong about embodiment and the self. She explains what reimagination means in her practice when representing black women in history ethically. Heather also explores the gatekeeping present in art and how this drives her to make her work visceral in order to transcend linguistic accessibility. She reflects on her decision to focus on self-portraits after witnessing the exploitative and distorted depictions of e-waste in Ghana.  Finally, Heather talks about self-exploration through art and balancing this with establishing boundaries. What you’ll find inside: “It’s more about what I’m feeling and what sort of medium I need and then I fall into these different dimensions of making art.” (4.10)“I think the reason I make art is to trust myself and rediscover myself. I think for a long period of time there was just so many different layers of who I was which were just kind of projected on to me… my quest in making art is to start removing those layers and I guess whilst I’m removing the layers I’m trusting myself more.” (4.41)“There was something about looking back which helped me to understand my present circumstance, using these women from history to explore myself.” (6.22)“A violence sometimes happens with these women where because of the lack of knowledge, they are created as like caricatures or their lives are reduced in some sort of way. So if anything, it feels like I’m trying to kind of repair some of the violence that happens in those old images.” (7.55)“My work is not really about perfection it’s the intent and the intention of making something accessible.” (12.14)“There’s something about giving it up to the camera and trying to make the camera not a critical viewer … more like a witness or an observer. So you kind of take the power back from that gaze it becomes less of a critical observer more of just like someone witnessing you.” (16.40)“I think that work is always like the last chapter of something. Healing is a constant thing but in terms of that specific thing I’ve processed it I’ve got a revelation of something that’s happened, it doesn’t belong to be anymore.” (25:34)What does photography ethics mean to Heather? “An empathetic ear, selfless reflection and progress. I think the history of photography has been ethnographic, anthropological and I think that often haunted photography for a very long time. The progress idea is that we need to evolve from this idea that its truth or about othering. I think that photography at its best is about connectivity and I think that it’s the responsibility of the photographer to engage with those three things.” (36.08)Links:Raymond Thompson Jr.: On speculationHeather Agyepong: YaaHeather Agyepong: Through Motion Heather Agyepong: The Body Remembers Authentic Movement: Essays by Mary Starks Whitehouse, Janet Adler and Joan Chodorow by Patrizia Pallaro The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk 

In this episode, we talk with Nana Kofi Acquah about the complexity of consent. Nana speaks of the importance of prioritising understanding in order to photograph complex stories authentically. He also discusses how the coronavirus pandemic illuminated the lack of empathy present in the photographing of illness in Africa.  Nana highlights how images of poverty and opulence are often juxtaposed and that more understanding is needed to create nuanced images.  He explains how captioning is critical to remove bias and depict the original substance of the photo. Finally, he explores the capacity for consent in relation to people in vulnerable positions. What you’ll find inside: “I think the secret of good photography when you’re dealing with very nuanced very complex issues is to not focus on the photograph just focus on understanding. Focus on getting to this place where the people can truly be themselves in your presence.” (9.18)“To seek to disappear, to seek to not get in the way of the story. I think the pinnacle of all art is invisibility.” (10.51)“When you photograph a child who is starving and dying maybe they lived maybe they became president of their nation, but nobody remembers that all we ever remember is a poor starving African child.” (16.29)“People are more than just a moment you witnessed.” (18.38)“In the effort to make exceptional images we tend to distort history especially for those who come after us … and the ability to see that the mundane is a story.”  (21.55)“Captioning is the secret recipe that gives a photograph true longevity it’s that important. Captioning is crucial because captioning helped me step out of my bias to hear the original observer’s voice.” (23.45)“Consent for me is a complicated matter especially when we are working with vulnerable groups.” (30.03)What does photography ethics mean to Nana? “If I can go back show them the photographs and not have to worry about how they will feel about it. It may not be their greatest photo but they say at least that’s how I was feeling that’s the way I was. I don’t want to remember that part of my history again but that photograph is honest it speaks to that moment in my life.” (34.39)Links:The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal ChangeThe Baggage that Lives with You ForeverOde on a Grecian Urn by John KeatsNana Kofi Acquah on inequality in Ghana Immediate Family by Sally MannKadir van Lohuizen

In this episode, we talk with Hernease Davis about empathy in the darkroom. Hearnease opens up about her use of photography to process, heal and take care of herself. The complexities of exhibiting work relating to vulnerable issues is explored as well as the topic of protection. Hernease discusses empathy in relation to trauma and the place of empathy in art history. The metaphor of walking in someone else’s shoes is deconstructed in order to depict empathy in a more nuanced way.  Hernease also gives advice about using photography for the pursuit of self-knowledge. What you’ll find inside: “For the past ten years I’ve been crafting my practice to be a place where I can take care of myself. So like a psychological space and a safe place to imagine things that are metaphysically impossible in order to try and render a healing process for myself.” (3.20)“Empathy actually started as an art historical term… empathy was started off as a way of appreciating art.” (25.23)“You’ll never truly know what it is like to walk in their shoes or to be them and it’s ok to bring yourself in this idea of what empathy means.” (28.06)“For me what it means to be seen is what you think of me as my surface is just the beginning. Ask me some questions, spend some time do a little bit of relating. It is also the way that I try to think about others as well.” (32.17)What does photography ethics mean to Hernease?“In my experience I have had the realisation that some people take photography personally, like too personally where it becomes their identity in some kind of way… I just approach it as it just is, it is and this is what photography has done. I can talk about it as a tool that has honestly saved my life but also has been a tool that has led to so many atrocities like genocide. That also has led to how we misread each other, how we misunderstand one another.” (37.24)Links:A Womb of My Own (Mistakes Were Made In Development)A Room of One’s Own by Virginia WoolfHernease Davis

In this episode, we talk with Jai Lennard about opportunity versus access. Jai discusses how part of his ethical considerations include deciding if he is the right person to tell a story.  Additionally, his founding of Color Positive was part of his drive to diversify the stories which are told by aiding young black artists. Jai outlines how his mentoring role at Color Positive puts him in a place of access to talent enabling him to connect photographers with projects that they are aligned with. Access is also explored in relation to opportunity as Jai discusses how both are needed for artists to succeed.What you’ll find inside: “I think that a lot of the subjects that I used to be more head on with dealing with actual people, dealing with survivors, dealing with people who are on the ground trying to change the world. Those same stories get told in entertainment… everyone wants to tell stories different ways.” (7.08)“If I’m being approached about a project, is this a topic that I want to dive into? Should I be telling this story?... It’s always case by case for me, I take everything individually I don’t really have blanket answers.” (8.12)“I just kind of always knew I needed a mentor and I think maybe that’s also back to just my background. Growing up as a young black man in a mostly white community – despite how diverse my area was – I just always knew that if I was going to succeed, I wasn’t going to do it on my own.” (18.52)“You can be asked to do a job that sounds amazing and when you get there, you have not been set up to succeed and that is the difference between having access and not having access…there’s so many different kinds of access, an opportunity is just an opportunity and without access it’s not a lot.” (36.23)What does photography ethics mean to Jai? “Putting the wellbeing of everyone who’s involved at the forefront of your mind when you do a project. When it’s there you’re protective of it and I think that photography ethics is about being protective to what’s important on every scenario. And it may seem like a lot times the most important thing is just to get it but it’s usually not. For me, a lot of the times it’s about the experience. When I focus on the experience as the most important thing for a photography project a lot of other things come into play very smoothly including the images.” (39.25)Links:Color PositiveWomen PhotographColor Positive MentorshipDanielle Villasana: On representation and eq

In this episode, we talk with Lauren Walsh about conflict photography. Lauren first discusses her career trajectory, explaining her shift from English literature to photojournalism due to her sustained interest in storytelling and ethical issues.  She explores who consent forms are designed to protect and stresses the need for ethical considerations in relation to photojournalists’ mental wellbeing. Lauren grapples with the issue of ethical viewership in relation to fast paced encounters of suffering on social media. There is a discussion of perceptions of photojournalism within academia, she also dispels myths that the general public have about conflict photography.What you’ll find inside: On consent forms: “I wouldn’t want a one size fits all form cause I think depending on what’s being documented it can radically shift what you need to protect for… if it is a setting where you think somebody could be at risk because of your work, I do think it is fair to think it through very very deeply and potentially offer them the opportunity to talk to you about it.”(20.42)“I don’t have hard and fast answers a lot of what I do – and this is how I think of a lot of ethics – winds up in grey zones where it’s really hard to give like here’s the one exact rule you need to follow every time. For me part of the process is advocating or asking photographers to think more critically, in ways that I don’t think that the industry usually train them to think.” (22.37)“A photojournalist should be paid for their work because it is a job and if they are documenting someone else’s hardship, it brings these two uncomfortable realities together… this is a vital job if we don’t pay into it then we lose what photojournalism or journalism broadly contributes to society. Which is keeping an eye on what is happening around the world particularly where we can’t be, exposing injustices, making us aware.” (26.07)“Preliminary data is showing 85% of journalists are reporting a traumatic episode on the job, that’s an enormous percentage. About 10% are reporting thoughts of suicide.” (35.24)“I also wouldn’t ever make the claim that photojournalism matters more than what might be happening locally in a photojournalist’s community. I say that almost from an advocacy position, as at least where I am based in in the United States like local journalism is really hurting here and the smaller newsrooms and the smaller publications are dwindling. I think actually community and local are reporting is so vital to the health of a community”. (39.44)What does photography ethics mean to Lauren? “Thinking through all aspects of the photo, the photojournalist before they pick up the camera, when they’re in front of whatever they’re documenting, before they file the image to an editor and then seeing where the images goes … I think they should operate in a way that should aim to reduce any harm to whatever story they’re working on and I also think the industry has the obligation to reduce any harm for its media workers too.” (40.47)Links:The Cruel Radiance: Photography and Political Violence by Susie LinfieldConversations on Conflict Photography by Lauren WalshArt Works ProjectsArchiving the Troubles in Northern Ireland by Savannah DoddBiography of a PhotoHow to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

In this episode, we talk with Santiago Lyon about trusting what we see. Discussing his own work with the Content Authenticity Initiative, he stresses the need for provenance information to be available to consumers.  Santiago highlights the importance of clarifying the differences between photojournalism and stock photography as they entail differing ethical considerations. He also explores the influence of context, usage and intent in relation to ethics.  Santiago invites photographers to embrace AI while also discussing the difficulty it poses to intellectual property.What you’ll find inside: “For me the whole career aspect of journalism was more of a vocation and more of a calling than a sort of 9-5 job. And with that vocation comes the responsibility to adhere to those codes of ethics and to be truthful and transparent and not to mislead people and to be sure that all the work that you’re doing is a faithful recording of what’s going on around you.” (7.03)“A stock photograph has all sorts of ethical issues from the photojournalistic standpoint, the way it was edited, what might have been taken out of it for stock photo purposes et cetera. And the fact that the captions in stock photography are very different from the captions in new photography. So, the context becomes very important, you know context in news photography is everything.” (15.46)“Customers know based on the source whether it’s AP or Reuters or AFP that it’s a trustworthy reliable image. So, the basic commodity that they’re dealing with in that world and in journalism at large is the notion of trust, and it’s hugely important.” (19.03)“We like to think about it like a digital national label… for news content it’s important that people have access to this provenance information so that they can make better informed decisions about what to trust and what not to trust.” (20.50)“It’s a question of whether you can embrace the power of technology and still be true to your values wherever they may lie. Whether it’s in the journalism world or the creative world or anything else for that matter.” (37.01)What does photography ethics mean to Santiago? “I mean to me photography ethics is really about veracity and transparency and accuracy and context and when someone looks at a picture that they have all of that information at their disposal and can trust the image that they’re looking at…. For me it really means photographing things as they are and describing them as they are. Having that level of transparency while at the same time allowing for layers of creativity that can interpret the scene in a way that renders it compelling to the viewer without compromising the authenticity of the scene.” (44.11)Links:Content Authenticity Initiative Associated PressReutersAFPHave I Been Trained

In this episode we will talk with Aida Muluneh about authenticity. Aida discusses the use of festivals to manage perceptions of Africa and to globally share different imaginings of Africa through the continent’s own visual language. She stresses the need for a global discourse surrounding ethically photographing the Global South, which is rooted in awareness and respect for the country being represented. Aida’s own work also aims to foster a global discourse while reflecting her own heritage and culture. Aida explains how authenticity has shaped her own career choices as well as how it is balanced with impartiality in photojournalism. What you’ll find inside: “Photographers in Africa have been doing work for a very long time, it’s just a matter of opportunities and you know having also in the international media having sort of diversity within discourse. So right now, for most of us in the continent there’s a level of urgency of trying to balance these cliches that we still see going out and the perceptions as well as it relates to what is Africa.” (5.36)“My goal has always been to authentically present my thoughts, my ideas and my experiences without having to pretend to be somebody else. So, my work is really a reflection of who I am and this is I think, when we speak about art and creativity that’s the most important thing that we have to focus on.” (9.45)“For us in the global south we have to educate ourselves to do better than what’s been done before, it’s not just about representation but it’s talking about rights… photographers come to Africa and feel that it’s ok to take photos of kids on the street you know, which they would never do in their own country. So, these kinds of things can only change when we have a global discussion as it relates to the direction of photography, that is not only led by the Global North but it also encompasses the challenges that we face in the Global South.” (11.47)“As artists we can only present our own truths, this is the key thing. And that truth means whatever is in front of us how we are authentically reacting to it. It’s dangerous when artists come with an answer. So, for me I’m just provoking the questions and these are the things that I focus on; is the questioning part and also my curiosity and the exploration of what I think about certain things. But within it is just to know more and to also get people who are viewing it to go on that journey with me as well, to be curious just as I am.” (20.32)“Right now, you can open any media outlet any of that and you’ll see sort of a one-sided approach to things, but what we need to be questioning is what is the other side as well. This is sort of the balance that needs to exist you know and to really not be almost like a servant to the industry, a servant to the market. That’s the only way that we’re going to change things.” (28.32)“Whatever style you choose whatever you wanted to do, just make sure that you live a life of purpose. This is always my goal, this is sort of my contribution to my continent…everything that I do is with the hopes that someone else will carry on what I started.” (35.11)What does photography ethics mean to Aida?“The basis of it is about respect in whatever form that you want to talk about it, however you want to look about it. And that respect comes from also having a common understanding that the ethics of photography is not different because the location has changed. We need to all be together on this. So if we’re using the same tools and approaching the same things and we’re fighting for the same things I think that there needs to be a better understanding and there needs to be a global conversation as it relates to that. That the ethical rules are not different because one nation is more developed than another.” (37.34)Links:“With Paint And A Camera, She's Forging A New Artistic Vision Of Africa” by Natalie Jacewicz for NPRAfrica Foto FairAddis Foto FestSimon Njami

Each year since 2020, the Photography Ethics Centre has interviewed 12 photographers, asking them: “What does photography ethics mean to you?” After four years and 48 interviews, we have distilled eight key lessons that we have learned about what it means to be an ethical photographer. These lessons - ranging from the language we use to the intentions we have - can help photographers, filmmakers, and visual storytellers to reflect on their process, develop their practice, and help to build a more equitable industry. This resource was developed through a thematic analysis of 48 episodes of The Photo Ethics Podcast, Seasons 1-4. This research was led by Dr Savannah Dodd, founder and director of the Photography Ethics Centre, during her Practitioner’s Appointment within the Centre for Creative Ethnography at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) in 2024. It was supported by the Photography Ethics Centre’s advisory team and by Luke Strong. It was funded by the QUB Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Account (IAA). Thank you to all of the photographers who have contributed to this research by sharing their experiences through The Photo Ethics Podcast. Special thanks to Anthony Luvera, Justin Carey, Rehab Eldalil, and Mallika Vora who also contributed photographs to illustrate this report. You can download a PDF version of this report in six different languages at https://www.photoethics.org/articles

In this episode, we talk with Melanie King about leaning into collaboration. She talks about her transition from research-informed practice to practice-informed research. She also explores the collaborative nature of sustainable photography and how she has built her own network within the community of researchers and practitioners. Throughout, she comments on her journey of becoming a sustainable photographer, gaining greater confidence in these methods.What does photography ethics mean to Melanie? “The first word that jumped into my mind was care. So, I think it makes me think does my artwork, does my photography, cause harm to anyone? Does it cause harm to the environment? Is there a way that my practice or my work can contribute to the care of others, to the care of the environment? … Just to make sure that the work that we’re doing does not cause harm in any way.” (29:48)Links:London Alternative Photography CollectiveSustainable DarkroomThe Photo Ethics Podcast interview with Hannah FletcherThe Photo Ethics Podcast interview with Nilupa YasminAndy GoldsworthyDavid NashBrian CoxRoyal College of Art Working Class CollectiveThe White Pube Funding Library

In this episode, we talk with Mohammad Alnobani on reducing bias in imagery. He discusses his experiences founding an Arab stock imagery website and how his role has allowed him to better understand photographers’ concerns. He also explores AI tools like image generation, describing how he has tried to maintain his own ethics through the use of these tools. What does photography ethics mean to Mohammad? “I would answer with two angles towards this. Basically the ownership of the image, unfortunately, not only in our region, but I found out that in many, many regions, ownership of images is taken very lightly. Like, oh if I take this photo out of Google and use it as a social media post on my personal page, it doesn’t harm anybody because I’m not really benefitting out of it. But, no, you are, and you did take something away from somebody who owns this photo at a certain point. And, on the other end, I would say with the photographer’s point of view, when you take a photo, what’s ethical, what’s not when you take a photo of a model and you upload it somewhere. Just make sure that you treat it rightly, and this is what we’ve been pushing our photographers to do. In certain situations it’s quite impossible to carry your model release around and ask people to sign it and explain why they’re signing it, but at least record a view with that person–just have some sort of content that verifies that person was okay with you taking their photo. So, this is a very broad topic, but it has a lot of angles and now with AI, there’s way more details to get into.” (40:35)

In this episode, we talk with Daniel Etter about truth and fiction. He discusses the differences between observation in photojournalism as opposed to the element of creation present in filmmaking. He discusses the rise of AI image-making and the associated risks. Finally, he describes how problems within photography are often representative of systemic problems requiring societal change on a wider level. What does photography ethics mean to Daniel?“Just being respectful and meeting people at eye level and being open to their experience and being open to their grief, and seeing what causes less or more harm to them. So, it’s just like respecting people. It’s like … do you want to show a dead boy and the grieving father, or not? And in some cases, if it was like somebody who’s killed in the road in an accident here, you’d probably say no because it doesn’t make any sense. But maybe the father is like ‘yeah show that because I want people to see.’ … We have to understand people and see if it’s justifiable to show certain things or not show certain things. And I think it comes down to respecting people equally.” (33:09)Links:Open letter to Meta about AIDaniel Etter, “Photos don’t always tell the whole truth. Is that a bad thing?” The Washington PostSarah Sentilles, “When We See Photographs of Some Dead Bodies and Not Others,” The New York Times Magazine

In this episode, we talk with Mohamed Mahdy on embedding ethics. He talks about using your own senses to discover the stories around you, rather than venturing out of your own community. He also explores his quest for authenticity in his work and how multi-modal works can help achieve such authenticity. Finally, he discusses street photography and the ethical reflections it invites.What does photography ethics mean to Mohamed?“Ethics is to let your ego go and then don’t separate your person from what you do. Like, if you’re really a good person, it will be reflected in your work immediately. If you are thinking about ethics and manners and values and respecting people, it will be immediately in your work. Actually, everything you do in your life, we should not separate them. And I feel like ethics, to me, is always reflecting what I’m doing, every step asking those questions each project I make... And getting back to why I’m doing it. For whom?, what is it about?. I believe we should always put them in front of our eyes everyday because we also change with time, and having a lot of exposure can change you.” (35:45)

In this episode, we talk with Alicia Bruce on collaboration and advocacy. She explores how a collaborative approach to photography can avoid misrepresentations and can counter typical media narratives. She also discusses her involvement in campaign-based photography and the empowerment that can come as a result of telling hidden stories in an ethically-aligned way. What does photography ethics mean to Alicia? “Ethics, for me, it’s a reflection of personal values. And its respect, integrity, compassion, and care. Ethics are different from laws, I would say. There’s things that you can do legally, but it doesn’t mean you should do them. It’s about having good intentions and also being open to sometimes having those challenged as well because we’ve got ethics in the here and now, but we’re always growing and changing, and our ethics should as well. But, for me, it’s alaso about treating everyone the same.” (32:14) Links:“Goose Girl”“American Gothic”Sebah Chaudhry on The Photo Ethics PodcastFranki RafflesAOP Downloads

In this episode, we talk with Aryan Musleh on storytelling on social media. He discusses the challenges of representing communities that are misrepresented or forgotten in the media, focusing on the political barriers that can hinder the efforts of photographers. As a curator, he explores the ethical complexity of ensuring that photographs he posts are used responsibly and represented accurately through captions.What does photography ethics mean to Aryan?“It means a lot to me. For example, it means representing people as they want to be represented, which is very important. And I would say it’s all about ethics, and it’s the cornerstone of having a community represented through visuals. It’s very basic, but it’s a steppingstone and a cornerstone of starting to tell a great story. And it has to be there. When a story lacks any ethical constraints, it’s not complete; it’s misrepresented; it’s biased; it’s all based on assumptions and cliches.” (36:22)Links:Photojournalism ethics coursesEveryday AfghanistanStatement of Ethics campaignThe Photo Ethics Podcast interview with Shaminder DulaiAzeta Hatef on Afghan suffering in the media

In this episode, we talk with Nicole Tung on navigating ethical dilemmas. She explores the responsibility a photographer has beyond taking a photo, discussing the investment she displays in the impact of her images. She examines the question of when to intervene as a photojournalist in a conflict zone, before talking about how the industry can better support freelancers doing this dangerous work. What does photography ethics mean to Nicole? “Photography ethics, for me, means, I think, the framework within which you yourself work as a photographer, how you navigate various situations and moral and ethical problems that will inevitably come up. I think that being very conscious of where you draw the line on what you’re willing to do, what you’re not willing to do if you’re confronted with a very problematic situation is something that I try to think ahead of before I work on a story, for example. And that I think comes with experience; I don’t think you can have that framework without spending the time doing this work. Certainly during my first year or two documenting conflict, I was still building that scaffolding, and it is something that you start to layer onto over the years because you encounter different things and you see different situations, and you also learn from the people around you. So it’s really about whether you can go home at the end of the day or the end of the assignment that you’re working on and feel that what you did was mostly okay.“ (35:01) Links:ACOS Alliance