TH2020

Ethical Travel photography

Whenever a person travels, he or she needs to follow and obey based on the law, practices, and culture of the
place of travel. Similar to that, we also have to know certain ethics in travel photography to be responsible
travel photographers.

Travel Photography Ethics

Photography ethics are the principles that guide a photographer on how to responsibly capture photographs
(photoethics.org, n.d). Ethics in photography are more fluid, subjective, and contextual. This means that each
person has different ethics being followed. These ethics are often based on the photographer's experiences
and values.

These ethics may change from one context to another. This indicates that what might be ethical in a certain
place may not be ethical to others. Here are some ethics of travel photography a traveler or a tourist must
remember (Read, 2020):

• Always ask for permission

Whenever you are photographing random people, no matter how photogenic or how colorful their
traditional clothes are, always ask for permission. If you are in a country and you cannot speak their
local language, you can simply make eye contact, smile, and make a gesture that you will take a picture
of them. It is always best to talk with the person you photographed to know their story. Showing their
photo after capturing them is also a courtesy. Ask their social media if they have any and tag them as
you post them.

If a person declines, that signals that you cannot photograph them no matter how interesting they
are. A photographer must respect the decision of others.

• Be cautious with children

The first principle also applies here. Whenever a photographer captures photos of children, it is
necessary to ask for the permission of both the child and their parent. After photographing, it is best
to show them the photo and offer to send it to them via email or a messaging platform.

In any place of travel, a photographer must not pay children in exchange for a photograph. With this
kind of act, children learn to exploit themselves.

• Support and don't disturb their business

Whenever a photographer is traveling, it is best to experience and tell the daily lives of the people in
the area, especially on how they make a living. In capturing these kinds of persons, always remember
that you should not annoy or get in their way.

In capturing photos in a market, if a photographer sees other artist's designs and ideas, be mindful not
to photograph them. This risks their business, and others may copy it. And if in capturing street
vendors, it is best to buy from them to contribute to the local economy.

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• Always be on track

Whenever a photographer is in a fragile environment, it is best to stay on the trail and obey signs. In
following the signs, you will help preserve the place and not destroy its features.

• Click and go

If a photographer is on a popular spot, it tends to have a lot of people in the place wanting to get that
photo. Whenever a photographer encounters this situation, it is best to take a photo quickly and leave
so that other people can have the opportunity to capture photos from the same spot.

• Know the law

A photographer must know the different places where photography is illegal. Since photography law
varies in every country, it is best to study and research the place to avoid breaking the law. In some
countries, capturing a photo of police officers, airports, or military buildings is strictly prohibited.

Following such principles in ethical travel photography allows a photographer to positively impact others. A
photographer must shape people's minds on how to view the world. He/she must be responsible as
photographs can be powerful.

Ethical Issues in Photography

A photographer can use his camera to capture the different point-of-views of the world. Capturing with
caution and dignity is necessary. Here are some issues concerning travel photography (Bond, 2018):

Poverty Exploitation
During the 1980s, there are a lot of controversial photographs about places like Ethiopia. Images showing
starving people and in extreme poverty widely circulated. These images may tend to exploit the state of
poverty of individuals for the sake of viewership. Often, these photos may be taken for a good ethical reason
which is to aim awareness and bring a solution to the problem.

Whenever a photographer wants to capture photos of people in poverty, he or she should ask the following
questions:
• After capturing the photo, ask yourself if the photo would only benefit you or will benefit the
photographed person?
• Do you know the story of the person and the position they are in?
• Have you reached out and build a personal relationship with the person?

Asking such questions may help a photographer decide if it is appropriate to capture one's social status.

Self-Promotion
Whenever you take photos, there is always an element of self-promotion. For example, a photographer
captured photos of children in an orphanage, and a photographer may also want to promote himself doing
good. There's nothing wrong with making yourself and others happy. However, in photography, when a
photographer aims to build his or her portfolio, it is unnecessary because the photographer is only promoting
for himself.

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Whenever a photographer captures such photographs, it is recommended to give back, such as exposing the
problem to the public for awareness and to gain donations for the charity.

Stereotyping
Cultures in different places are very diverse, and there are strong identifiers about the roots of the people.
Stereotyping in photography generalizes the culture of the place and may have demeaning implications on
race, ethnicity, or sexuality.

To avoid stereotyping in photographs, it is to capture many photographs to convey a story about the culture.
Remember that a single photograph may tell many stories, but it cannot convey the real story behind the
photograph.

Invading personal space

Photographers aim to capture photographs naturally. However, if a photographer does not ask for permission
and points his camera directly to a person, he or she invades the individual's personal space. To test whether
a photographer has invaded space is if the person photographed stopped what he or she is doing and is looking
at the photographer.

These ethical issues may tend to be overlooked. The first thing to do to avoid such ethical issues is to study
and learn the culture of the place of travel and apply simple common sense in capturing photos.

References:
Bond, S. (2018, April 28). Travel photography ethics: When you shouldn't take that picture.
ExpertPhotography. https://expertphotography.com/travel-photography-ethics-when-you-
shouldnt-take-that-picture/
Photography ethics and why they matter. (2018, April 25). Photography Ethics Centre. Retrieved March 5,
2021, from https://www.photoethics.org/content/2018/5/31/photography-ethics-and-why-they-
matter
Read, J. (2020, July 7). Tourists, stop ignoring the ethics of travel photography. Reader's
Digest. https://www.rd.com/list/tourism-ethics-travel-photography/

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