Photographers Behaving Badly

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

Staged Photography

Staged photography is traditionally adopted by photographers who shoot portraits, fashion, lifestyle, flora, products, boudoirs, etc. Staging is also standard in some categories of competitive photography, in which the photographer portrays specific stories, messages, scenarios or enactment. However, there remains a dark side to staged photography that’s rarely spoken about in mainstream photography.

Wildlife Encounters

When tourists visit wildlife encounters, the money they spend on interacting, petting and walking with predators does not contribute to wildlife conservation or the preservation of natural habitats. Instead that money buys more animals, builds more animal encounters, promotes fake voluntourism, and contributes to animal suffering and death.

Ethics

Ethics are essential in all genres of photography because if we’re seen to be harming our subjects, no one will want to be photographed by us; in addition, unethical photography sets a lousy name for the entire photography industry.