On Saturday 20th July URI hosted a “Culture Cafe” about “ethical storytelling for NGOs”. The mini-workshop was hosted by our long-term volunteer Mirjam. First, she described main concepts, why it is so important for NGOs to have clear and sensitive approach about ethics in the photography and stories. No-Gos are for example:
– to exploit the poor in order to generate donations or more clicks on social media. Photos showing extreme hunger or catastrophe should never be taken out of context and need a real explanation when posted.
– a second thing that should be avoided by NGOs, is the phenomenon of “white saviourism”. This refers to photos, in which a white person teaches, explaines or helps a person of Color. For example, handing out food.
informed consent vs. assumed consens
Informed consent: permission that a person grant to be photographed, with full knowledge of where, when, how, and for what purpose the photograph will be used, and with the understanding that they can say “no” without consequence. It is important to understand the power dynamics involved in the situation and to be sure that people can really say no without fear.
Implied consent is when you assume that the subject is okay with being photographed without explicit written or oral permission.
Ask the right person for consent (e.g. for children, people with disabilities, etc.). Written consent is required for photographs to be used for any purpose, and the purpose must be stated clearly in the form. People must know that they have the right to say“No” without negative consequences.
When taking the photo....
Ask people if they liked to be photographed. Maybe they need to change their clothe or put on the Hijab. Make sure that you do not reinforce stereotypes in your photo. Do not change the story to make the context more interesting. Only use the photo for what people agreed to. Do not use it in another context. Respect the people and never be upset if the person says “no” to a photo. Leave a free choice.
Extra: tips for good photographs
Natural light makes every photo more beautiful. Take care of sharpness and focus. One element or person should always be in focus. Also the framing is very important. You might not want to cut feeds or heads and show enough of the background. The more depth a picture has, the better. Try to avoid taking photos in front of walls. Emotions of all types, angry, happy, etc, pull the viewer into the photo and transmit a real story.
Test yourself....
What do you think about this photo? Use your new knowledge and name a few techniques and ethical codes that were used here.