Photographers Behaving Badly

It’s that time of the year again when folk with camera phones and DSLRs come out of the woodwork to behave badly for attention, clicks, and God knows what else, and it’s my job to report their stupidity.

Now, some of you may know me for documenting unethical photography practices in which I have received hate mail, legal threats and unsolicited phone calls in the past, however, I don’t care, therefore, if you would like to read more about unethical photographers behaving like self-entitled tossers, please feel free to click away here.

Just a side note for my readers, unethical photography boils my piss, therefore, I am pre-warning you all now, that this article may contain some expletives.

So, without further ado, let’s get down to business with these cretins below.

Auschwitz Portrait

At the start of 2023, a couple went viral on social media after they were seen posing and taking photographs at Auschwitz, Poland.

To those of you that don’t know, Auschwitz was an active concentration camp where over 1.2 million people (primarily of Jewish descent) were murdered by the NAZIs during World War 2.

After the war and the Russian liberation of innocents from Auschwitz, the Polish government declared Auschwitz a memorial to all those who were murdered at the concentration camp.

The vast majority of people who lost their lives at Auschwitz were transported through the Gates of Death seen in the image above along these very train tracks to the gas chambers.

Therefore, it boils my piss to see a man and woman enjoying themselves and posing in what is a 400-acre plot of land that holds the bodies and ashes of innocent people who perished here.

Selfies and portraits at Auschwitz have become increasingly popular, and have generated agitated public debate.

While some see them as an engaged form of witnessing, others denounce them as a narcissistic desecration of the dead. 

When I visited Auschwitz in 2020 I was taken aback at its sheer size and how the NAZIs killed their victims, most of which were gassed to death, while others were tortured, beaten, hung and even electrified because of their ethnicity.

If you’re thinking of visiting Auschwitz then by all means, take photos to create awareness and debate about how crimes against humanity should never happen again.

However, please, don’t behave like these two idiots above because all you’re doing is desecrating the dead; and you’ll likely receive some flack from the public too.

Imagine if your mother and father were brutally murdered in your home. Would you take a selfie of your beautiful body to share online in front of it?

If you’re thinking of taking some photos of Auschwitz please follow some of the advice I’ve highlighted below:

• Leave the DSLR and tripod at home. You won’t need it unless you’ve permission to shoot for commercial reasons to raise awareness about Auschwitz.
• Auschwitz is visited by mourners every day, therefore if you see someone crying or standing in thought alone or with family, don’t take their picture.
• Mind your step. Auschwitz is a mass burial ground.
• Don’t take flash photography or point your cameras in people’s faces.
• DO NOT take selfies.
• Try to take pictures that highlight the plight of those who suffered at Auschwitz. However, don’t come across as too professional.
• DO NOT take drone shots or fly drones over Auschwitz unless you’ve permission from the Polish government.
• DO NOT try to sneak any professional camera equipment into Auschwitz. Your bags are checked on entry.
• DO NOT stray from your guide or go off on your own personal pursuit. There are many unmarked graves at Auschwitz, therefore you don’t want to get caught standing on one.
• Be discreet.
• Do not damage anything in your pursuit of a photograph or video at Auschwitz.

Moose Kills Photographer

In May of this year, self-entitled Dale Chorman, 70, decided it was a good idea to get too close for comfort in his quest to photograph an Alaskan moose.

The Alaska Department of Public Safety told the BBC that Mr Chorman had been looking for the moose and calves on his property to photograph them.

Tim Kizzia, another friend of the victim, said the moose came “suddenly… crashing out” and caught Mr Chorman off guard.

“They turned to run and his friend looked back and saw that Dale was already on the ground and the moose was standing over Dale,” he told the Alaska News Service.

Medics pronounced Mr Chorman dead at the scene. The moose and its calves had left the area.

His son, Nathan Spence-Chorman, said his family did not want the animal to be put down.

“[Dale] was not a hapless fool stumbling into danger — this was a person who went out looking for a great photo, knowing the risks and got caught in a dangerous moment,” he said on social media.

However, while his family stated Dale was not a hapless fool, I disagree.

For one, he knew there was a moose with offspring on his property, and he decided to ‘take the risk.’

In addition, Dale also suffered from a medical condition called ankylosing spondylitis which weakened the spine, therefore, he should have been playing it safe while filming and photographing predatory wildlife.

Furthermore, this isn’t the first time Dale has placed himself too close for comfort regarding dangerous wildlife.

The video below was uploaded from Mr Chorman’s Facebook page illustrating just how close he gets to a bear that’s feeding on salmon in the river.

While the beer is seen minding its own business, it could have chosen to focus its attention on that of Mr Chorman. And to those that don’t know, bears have a top running speed of 30-35mph.

When photographing wild animals, naturally the most important factor is safety, both yours and the subject’s.

Getting too close to predatory animals is never a good idea.

As a general rule, remember – if you are close enough to an animal that they are aware of your presence, and change their behaviour because of it, you are too close.

The recommended viewing distance ranges from 150-200 meters, that said, if you have a medical condition or you’re photographing predators, the distance should be at least 200-500 meters.

In my opinion, Mr Chorman didn’t just know of the risks, he ignored them, flouted them, and posted them on social media which only encourages others to do the same.

Therefore, the Darwin Award goes to Dale!

Social Influencers Kill Plants

If like me, you love taking photos of plants, then by all means break a leg, however, don’t destroy your subjects in the process of doing it.

On the 19th of July 2024, the Daily Mail reported that Hitchin Lavender Farm was again under siege by self-entitled little shits that go under the guise of ‘social influencers.’

Hitchin Lavender in Hertfordshire shared a video on Facebook showing how plants have been destroyed by visitors who sat or laid down in the fields.

In the emotional post, the farm said that plants that take ’10 years to grow’ are being destroyed in ‘seconds’ by people hoping to get the perfect selfie on the farm.

As a qualified Botanist myself, I can vouch for Hitchen Farm in that this entire field of lavender can take several years to grow.

While generally, I dread the existence of social media influencers, some of them have the talent to back it up and earn their rightful place.

Unfortunately, most of them do not have talent and their sole aim in life is to film or take photos for clicks, views, and attention.

In addition, it’s not just social media influencers that give the good influencers a bad rap either.

Professional and amateur photographers are just as bad and I’m very tempted to name and shame several of them who have won photography awards this past year, despite destroying their subjects in the process.

If you’re thinking of taking photos in wildflower meadows or on private property please follow some of the advice I’ve highlighted below.

• Always ask for permission from the landowner and obey the rules and laws.
• Plan your shoot from start to finish to avoid any mishaps.
• Don’t aim for perfection. If you aim for perfection the chances are you’ll damage nearby flora.
• Avoid props. Props can fall and damage flowers.
• Practice at home or in a local field to get the feel of photographing outdoors. This will allow you to gain more insight into the camera settings needed for the day and what equipment you may need.
• Take a DSLR with a 50mm lens and tripod. A tripod will help to eliminate camera shake to make your flower images sharper. A cable release will allow you to step away from your equipment and nearby flowers while you take your shots.
• Take a reflector, which is one of my favourite tools for flower photography, especially outside. It’s handy for filling in shadows.
• Stay on the track or in the middle of the field rows.

Conclusion

As Potter Stewart once said: ‘Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.’

Many of us who work in the photography and filming industry be it for professional or amateur pursuit all want that perfect shot.

However, in doing so, we do not have the right to destroy something in the process, wreck people’s livelihoods, upset people by desecrating protected land, violate rules or break the law.

Unfortunately, I do not see an end to unethical photography anytime soon because so many of us aren’t truly in this game for shooting a photo or recording a film, what most of us are truly striving for are clicks, views, attention, awards, and that five seconds of online fame.

And that I find quite depressing.

Thank you for reading and please stay tuned for my next article about daredevil photographers who died in their pursuit of social media fame.