@ridley thanks for sharing this! It raises some very interesting points. I follow @ruthmouch and as much as the pictures often tell their own very powerful story I am always so impressed how many details Ruth finds out about the people (or animals!!). It seems to me often she gains such insight into their lives because she has treated them with so much respect and has bothered asking about them.
@bmnorthernlight Ruth is a great example to follow -- I also follow her and want to follow her example. I shoot alot in Africa, and most of the time, I have a (at least cursory) relationship with the tribal people before I photograph them, but I could do a better job of it.
I've also learned to ask if I'm not sure. The Masaai in Kenya aren't as worried about whether they show up on a website, but sometimes have cultural concerns that should be respected.
In the US, I think we all are feeling the lack of privacy nowadays....
This is the very thing that concerns me about street photography. I was at a political rally in college and an AP photographer asked if he could use a photo he took of me and my then boyfriend, now husband looking at the result board. I don't know if he did but it was nice of him to ask.
An even bigger concern of mine is that the younger generation thinks nothing of posting pictures and tagging their friends on FB and the like. I know for a fact that my company did not hire someone because of something that person had on FB. If they posted it themselves that's one thing but I hate to think that someone posted a picture, tagged them without them even knowing it, and that cost them a job.
It will be very interesting in say 20 years when the people running for public office have FB profiles going back to high school and college. It will be the day we have our first Amish president since no one else will pass the vetting process.
Engaging in street photography - and I've been doing a lot of it lately - does not absolve us from ethical concerns regarding the appropriateness of the shot. Using the example from the article, in a photojournalist capacity, I'd certainly have taken that photo since it's not something you're likely to recreate after the fact. Before using it, however, I would also have approached the person, shown her the image, and requested permission to publish it. That is such an intensely personal moment that ethics demands respecting the privacy and wishes of the subject.
@aponi Kathryn, you're spot-on accurate regarding the impact FB and other social media sites have in the hiring process. I'm definitely looking forward to that primary with 10 Amish candidates in the first debate! LOL
@aponi@kannafoot An interesting premise, but since the Amish do not allow anything that might weaken the family structure or be "considered to be a temptation that could cause vanity, create inequality, or lead the Amish away from their close-knit community" it seems to me that national politics are completely out of the question... darn it! And, even if they did run we would not be able to watch the debates unless we could be there in person as they would not be able to be wired for sound because that would involve the use of electronics. But it is going to be interesting to see where politics/jobs/relationships end up down the road due to the over-sharing that takes place in social media.
@ridley As for the photo in question... another interesting dilemma. On the one hand, she is not readily identifiable from the photo, so I feel the biggest issue was the fact that the photographers were swarming and clicking away as she was obviously praying... very inconsiderate to say the least. Distance and telephotos lenses would have been more considerate as would silent shutters and a shot from the back, featuring the scene more than the person.
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I've also learned to ask if I'm not sure. The Masaai in Kenya aren't as worried about whether they show up on a website, but sometimes have cultural concerns that should be respected.
In the US, I think we all are feeling the lack of privacy nowadays....
An even bigger concern of mine is that the younger generation thinks nothing of posting pictures and tagging their friends on FB and the like. I know for a fact that my company did not hire someone because of something that person had on FB. If they posted it themselves that's one thing but I hate to think that someone posted a picture, tagged them without them even knowing it, and that cost them a job.
It will be very interesting in say 20 years when the people running for public office have FB profiles going back to high school and college. It will be the day we have our first Amish president since no one else will pass the vetting process.
@aponi Kathryn, you're spot-on accurate regarding the impact FB and other social media sites have in the hiring process. I'm definitely looking forward to that primary with 10 Amish candidates in the first debate! LOL
@ridley As for the photo in question... another interesting dilemma. On the one hand, she is not readily identifiable from the photo, so I feel the biggest issue was the fact that the photographers were swarming and clicking away as she was obviously praying... very inconsiderate to say the least. Distance and telephotos lenses would have been more considerate as would silent shutters and a shot from the back, featuring the scene more than the person.