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Ethics and Photography in Developing Countries

Volunteers who take photos while volunteering abroad have an ethical responsibility to preserve the dignity of their subjects and provide a faithful, comprehensive visual depiction of their surroundings so as to avoid causing public misperceptions. Visual images are a cogent way not only to convey an experience to an audience, but also to evoke strong public emotions, as people often formulate their opinion, judgment, or even plan of action in response to visual stimuli. In this way, the photographer wields substantial control over public perception. Whether a victim in a war-torn country is perceived by the public as a mere object, deserving of only pity, or a human being with capacities, to a large extent depends on the way in which the photographer chooses to depict the subject. Because Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellows routinely take photos while volunteering abroad, they should be aware of the following protocol.    

Before Photographing

• Always get the subject’s consent first, especially if you want to do a close-up.
• Examine your motives for shooting a particular frame. Do you want to inspire hope and understanding or maybe even expose wrongdoing and neglect? It is not acceptable to use the photographs simply to harness pity. As much as poignant, heart-rending visual images depicting abject human misery may inspire donors to step up their generosity, photos should never be intentionally used to guilt-trip donors. Donors who donate out of guilt tend to see subjects as pitiful objects, which is dehumanizing and disrespectful.    
• You should not bribe subjects to feign despair, anger etc. Neither should you accept bribes from those who might seek to influence the “slant” of your photos.
• Think about what you want to portray in your photo. While it is ok to portray the fears and helplessness of your subjects in some photos, others should also convey their strengths and expectations.(1) Never portray your subjects as useless or inadequate.(2)  

While Photographing

• Sometimes, it works well to photograph patients from behind so that only their activity, and not their faces, is seen. For example, your photo may show the face of the ophthalmologist who is performing an eye exam, but not the patient’s face. This not only prevents the patient from getting distracted, but also protects his/her privacy.
• Be humble, considerate and respectful, especially during private moments of grief. Try to take the picture from afar without being intrusive.    
• Try not to be an aloof stranger; build a relationship of mutual understanding with your subject.

After Photographing

• Don’t stereotype or make false generalizations.(3) A single photograph of a starving African child is not representative of the situation in the rest of the continent. Use captions to contextualize visual images.
• Photos should be used to raise public awareness, not exploit public sympathy.
• Photos must be carefully and faithfully edited (meaning there should be minimal, but acceptable digital manipulation and no fancy embellishments) to avoid misrepresentation.
• Make sure you believe that your photos document what you believe is the real situation of your subjects.(4)

The central tenet of ethical photography is that subjects should be treated as dignified human beings with capacities, not as objects of pity. Photographers should exercise their power to influence public perception responsibly, and use images to connect people from all walks of life through the language of visual understanding.

 Footnotes