Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Photographing the "Other"
What are the photographer's responsibilities in photographing people from cultures, subcultures, religions, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, political viewpoints etc. other than his/her own? Is it necessary to be part of the group you are photographing? to learn about them? to engage with them? Or is it OK to photograph as an outsider? There are no right answers here, and each of you may have a different idea about what is ethical and what is not, what has value and what does not. The point is to give some thought to your own point of view and to write about that.
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ReplyDeleteI think it's perfectly fine to photograph as an outsider. I've never really been a part of any major group (except the LGBTs') but nothing els. I feel that photographing as a outsider can really lead to new discoveries. For instance, a few years ago I was photographing at a Native American festival for a school assignment, while taking pictures I was told to stop by a security guard, because apparently what they were doing involved something sacred and didn't want it documented. It made me feel really bad (more than I should have been probably). Though I've always thought there was something amazing or strange to learn about groups you aren't part of. Always by the end of the day I am glad that I got to learn something new about people or groups I've never had the chance to meet.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to engage in your subject's background so as to learn new and grow as not just a photographer, but a person as well. I made a book last semester that involved 20 other people and I think it helped to talk to them and get to know them as people. When working with others it helps to know who you're working with so that they become comfortable with you.
ReplyDeleteI think it's okay to photograph as an outsider but only to a point. A few summers ago I went on a wildlife safari in Kenya with a photographer I met at the New Paltz craft fair along with a few other people who had signed up for the trip. Every day we would go out and find wildlife to photograph but one day we went to a Masai village where the people seemed very used to being photographed. They gave us a tour of the village and the children recited letters of the alphabet. Then they brought us to a clearing where they had tables set up with handmade jewelry for sale. Everything felt really staged. It was later that day that I was told by the tour guide that the village gets paid for having their photographs taken and that the children only knew the alphabet to impress tourists taking their photographs so that they'll buy more of the jewelry. After hearing this I felt really awkward about having taken their photographs. I didn't think it was right that the village had to resort to exploiting themselves in order to receive money for things they needed. Neither did the photographer so after the trip he set up a foundation with the help of the tour company we used to send mosquito nets along with other necessities to different Masai villages in Kenya. Some of the tourists that went on the trip solely as a vacation put up the photos of the Masai village people on their facebooks. That made me feel really uneasy because I realized that the photographer and I had taken the villagers photographs in an artistic sense while some of the other people in the group had taken them in order to brag to all of their friends on Facebook that they went to Kenya and didn't even think about the people in the photographs.
ReplyDeleteI think it is okay to photograph as an outsider, as long as you don't claim to have knowledge of certain groups only from photographing them. Yes you can learn a lot by photographing different people/groups/events, but that doesn't give you the right to speak for them. I think engaging and learning is always important if possible.
ReplyDeleteI don’t believe you need to be part of a specific group in order to photograph them. I believe we are so privileged with our freedom that when it comes to photography we are able to have that ability to explore our areas of interest. We are able to photograph a subject matter that we are curious about and would like to study more in great depth. However, I can understand how someone may be against this certain action as the photographer can portray it’s subject matters in a completely different context then the way that the group is truly intended for. I think it’s important as a photographer to make sure that boundary line isn’t crossed as you hold a certain level of responsibility for the images being produced.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly not necessary to be a part of the group you are photographing as long as you're aware of the perspective you're going to bring as an outsider or as a member of that group; because that will have an impact on the way you make the images and on the way people read them. I think the photographer has a responsibility to recognize when it's okay to photograph certain things and I also think that is dependent upon whether they are a part of the group they are photographing. For example, if I am at a skatepark taking pictures of everyone skating and someone falls and hurts themselves and i get really close to the person who fell and just started taking pictures of their injury without asking right away; that would be seen as more acceptable than someone who is just taking pictures around the skatepark not really knowing what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up going to Catholic school my entire life, becoming the school photographer for a number of clubs in high school was interesting. I have never been an overly religious person, so I was always felt like an outsider when I was asked to attend and photograph certain events. It's always just important to go into the situation wanting to learn more about the group you are photographing. If you go in with an open mind, it becomes a much more fulfilling experience. Others are willing to interact with you more, and you always are able to explore the full nature of what you are experiencing.
ReplyDeleteSometimes being an outsider of a certain subject matter helps gives a fresh and new perspective on the matter at hand. It gives us a chance as a photographer to learn more about certain issues and help others see these issues they may not know exist because it does not effect them.
ReplyDeleteI think it is okay to photograph another group based on religion, culture, ethnicity, whatever it may be, as long as you are aware of how you are presenting this other group as and how the general public may interpret your presentation of this group. I think it is okay to be an outsider, however along with that I feel that the proper amount of research and educating oneself on a specific group is very important as well to understand all the implications our photos of this group may have. Also, getting an outsider's point of view regardless of the background research is going to have a completely different feel and approach than that of someone who is part of the group and is familiar with the traditions and culture that entails being a part of a certain group. I think this difference is essential in understand how a group sees itself as well as how someone who is not part of the group sees and interprets a particular group.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind, it depends on the approach of the project. I think it's probably better in the long run to be a part of the culture you're documenting, but sometimes, an outsiders' view is exactly what is needed. When the approach is like that though, its a new obstacle to avoid making a spectacle of the subjects just because their lives are foreign to you.
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