Ethics of Documentary Photography

[Dan Scott]

On Monday, December 16, 2002, at 02:17  PM, Mike Johnston wrote:

Please accept my apologies for contributing to this drift. I
will try harder to stay on topic in the future. I really enjoy the PDML and
learn a great deal from all of you.

I enjoyed hearing from you, Glen, and I certainly think that you have earned
the right to photograph the homeless. Thanks.

--Mike

I applaud Glen's good works. But I don't know that good works earn anyone the right or an entitlement to photograph someone else. I understand that being in public entails being seen in public, but when you are homeless you have no privacy and no choice. You can't escape.

If you are sick, dirty, hungry and cold, you can't pop home, throw your vomit/diarrhea stained clothing into the wash and make yourself presentable. Unless you are fortunate enough to loose your mind, you are entirely aware of how wretched your condition is and your powerlessness to raise yourself out of it. When someone comes along looking for something interesting to shoot, their interest in you is most likely in exploiting your misery for their benefit.

I think that is wrong.

Dan Scott