Photography and Ethics Who's moral compass?

 In a world where an image can be sent to millions of places in a split second via the touch of a button, it is increasingly difficult to ensure images are not used in a way which is contrary to the photographers original intent.

 Jeff Mitchell's image of refugees waiting to cross the border from Croatia into Slovenia speaks of the misery that the conflicts in the Arab world have created. They appear to be patient people,mostly male.


 
 
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jun/22/jeff-mitchells-best-shot-the-column-of-marching-refugees-used-in-ukips-brexit-campaign     
retrieved 23/10/16

It became this during the UK Referendum campaign by UKIP, a British political party of the right of politics to leave the EU of 2016






https://politicaladvertising.co.uk/2016/06/20/breaking-point/      retrieved 23/10/16

Ukip were trying to play to the fears of the white working class and the retired that all of these people would be getting on the next train to St Pancras and over running the UK. You might notice if you compare the copies of this photograph that the box which says "Leave the European Union" is covering up the only ostensibly white person in the photograph. Blatant racism and xenophobia.

Jeff Mitchell was understandably upset by the use of his image in this way, but he had sold it and the rights to it to Getty Images who had licenced it's use in this campaign. 

It is arguable that picture libraries and archives should investigate a bit more thouroughly to what use images they lease will be put, buit there is also, I think an argument for a change in the way photographers sell their images to photobanks. 

In this case a perfectly legitimate image of the effects of sustained warfare on humanity was changed into an obscene xenophobic, racist image for the purposes of political scaremongering. 

With technology becoming ever more prevalent, and the internet becoming more of a staple in our lives than a luxury, as it was previously, I think the time has come for some kind of conversation regarding the licensing of images, especially in a world where there are such religious and racial tensions and ongoing wars. 

We as photographers have a moral duty to show things "As they are", but that deuty swings both ways as far as the organisations we sell or lease our images to. They also have a duty to ensure that images are not used to incite hatred of any kind.

Re-Thinking Photographers

For what it's worth, I think the line between "Photographers" and "Non photographers" has become so blurred as to make any kind of comparison meaningless. The days of the celebrity photographer are coming to an end with the proliferation of ever more sophisticated cameras on smartphones, backed up by production software that does all the work for the snapper.
The perception of the photographer is coloured by which of the genres of photography he represents. There is still a mistrust and loathing for the "Papppazi" type photogaphers who were variously blamed for the death of Princess Diana, with all its attendant hysteria, but as Josie rightly points out, Medical photography is probably something that never enters the mind of a non photographer.
Being pedantic I would suggest that as soon as anyone records an image on a camera, or a smartphone, then they are a photographer. If you asked 5000 people to take a photo of a sunset on thier phone, probably some would be good photos, and a fair few would be outstanding, but although they were taken by photographers, they were not taken by professional photographers. The attitude is that all a pro does is be in the right place at the right time, best equipment, best corporate back up, etc etc.
In my experience the truth is rather different. Standing up to my knees in cold slimy water waiting for one species of Dragon fly, or lying soaking in the dew to document the return of one particular orchid, the glamour isnt there. 
The place for photography as a documentary tool is the most important aspect . Whether that be Bob and Carol's wedding or the destruction of Aleppo, it is important to document these events for nostalgic purposes, memory purposes and future legal puposes.
I wonder how many non photographers stop to think how much photography has helped to change and shape our world? Or the service, in some cases the life or death service it has been to mankind?
I am a photographer and I wouldn't want to be in Syria for a gold clock. Non photographers see images from there in their newspapers, on the web,on the tv. They expect to see those images, they turn up like magic every day. How many times do they stop and consider the people supplying them? And would they then say "I could do that"

Project Ideas

I must admit I am a bit non-plussed at present. I am mulling a few ideas over regarding what I want to do as my final project. 

 

 Full Moon Chesil August 2016

I love Moonlight, but it's not something you can ever guarantee.


 

 Towards the Blackdown Hills Sept 2016

I really like Black and White landscapes, but is it old hat?

 Heron at  Sutton Bingham  Oct 2016
Should I stick with nature?

 Sunset Towards Wiltshire 2016
Or go for drama?

  Derelict funerary chapel Dorchester August 2016
Or Dereliction?
 

                       Logs Purlieu field Sherborne Aug 2016
 Or go abstract?

Watch this space  
 

Collaborative approaches

The task we were given this week was to make groups of two or three and create a collaborative piece of work. On the face of it this might seem extremely difficult not knowing any of the other students and considering their geographical spread. 

To facilitate some kind of introduction we were asked to post either a quote or photograph or some other media on the forum to start a discussion. 

The quote I noticed first was " Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" From "To Autumn" by John Keats
Link here 
Posted By Philip. To me this gave the opportunity to explore the whole idea of Autumn, it's colour and it's bounty.

The second quote I had noticed was 

 “If you have fairy blood, even in the tiniest degree, you must live close to Fairy Land, and eat a little fairy food, or else you will always be hungry.”
by Robert Moss Link here 
 Posted by Jo-Ann
I was drawn to this because it was so different from the rest of the  submissions, which were a mix of tv programmes, quotes from Shakespeare and well known clips from poems etc, nomne of which really attracted me in any sense.
I had put up a photograph I made of three blue fish.

 Jo had commented on the colours here and suggested a possible project of colours of nature.

Long story short, Philip,Jo and myself decided to team up for this project. Quite early on we decided the way of combining three peoples work, but also showing those same peoples seperate ideas and skills was to create a magazine and make our contributions in the form of articles, with collaborative work interspersed. Our three themes were Fairies (Jo), Autumn cookery (Philip) and Natures bounty (Me). The task was really how to tie these three subjects together cohesively. 

Jo has photoshop skills, so that was the magazine's production sorted, Philip is a cook who photographs food, so alright there, and I get out and about a bit so for my part it was just about taking some photographs and writing a piece to go with them.

I decided on a spoof story of going to look for food in the hedgerow but being interrupted by fairies being mischievous. Then taking photographs to prove my story.

 This was the result. A horizontal orb web became a fairy hammock, shadows of leaves became dancing fairies and a colour anomaly on Blackberries became the fabled "Purple fairy berry" Then I just needed to tie it together with some text. This covered all three of the themes, Fairies,Food and Foraging.

 My landscape image was used as the cover, so that was collaborative, so that fulfilled that brief.

  
 Finally the back page shows all all of the themes in one place. 
The magazine was 8 pages long. We had settled on the idea within 24 hours. All photos and text were ready by 72hrs. I think we did an amazing job seeing as how we did not know each other before this, and we ended up producing a professional looking piece of work which not only showed collaboration, it showed cooperation and highlighted all of our strengths within the context of a joint project. I am proud to have achieved this and am proud to have done that with Jo and Philip.

One group decided to take pictures of strangers after asking them to write down a wish. This was in three diferent countries-Italy, Dubai and England. The results were interesting, and a much larger sample might have shown a similarity between wishes which might have been a talking point. 

One pair created a stunning set of images based on the efficacy of natural remedies, and two other groups created collages. Interesting to see the different approaches to the same problem.

All in all I found this exercise to be quite stimulating, in as much as it made me think about what I was doing from my partners perspectives, and produce something cohesive in a short space of time. I found the whole experience extremely enjoyable.