We like to think it is, because we are street photographers. However the question ‘Is Street Photography Ethical?’ Is still worth asking.
Tim Jamieson has a thought provoking video on this subject here:
He shows example of Mark Cohen and Bruce Giden both photographers who use flash making images on the streets with no regard for how people will react to them making images of them. For me personally this is not street photography as I want to see it practiced. It is confrontational as an approach and this is why some street photographers get a bad reputation.
How it has to be acknowledged that every time you walk out your door you are going to be on camera somewhere. I can walk down my street and I know that I show up on my every Ring doorbell between my house and the train station. Amazon has no problem with this and will even share video clips with law enforcement agencies if requested. Then there is especially in London the ever present CCTV cameras everywhere, from carparks, to street lampposts. You can not get away from being filmed when out in public.
Documentary Intent
Street photography when practiced with the idea of not manipulating the final image has its routes in the documentary intent of photographers. They want to be out in the world documenting what they see, what catches there eye. As well most street photographers are standing, walking or doing something with there camera so they are obvious in what they are doing. So it makes it easy if someone does not want to be photographed for them to turn away from the photographer or stop them from making an image by saying they object. In which case it is up to the photographer to not make or use the photograph they might have already made. This is about respect for your subject.
Respecting your subjects
If a potential subject sees a photographer actively making images, it makes it easy if they do not want to be photographed, for them to turn away from the photographer or stop them from making an image by saying they object. In which case it is up to the photographer to not make or use the photograph they might have already made. This is about respect for your subject. It is not okay to use a long lens and hide away, so people cannot see that they are being photographed. iI you are doing this, because you are shy, then please consider working on this to overcome your hesitancy in making street photography images. Attend a workshop, watch videos on overcoming your fears in making images. Then work on the type of image you want to make. This is the best way to respect your subjects.
Rights to street photography
It is legal to photograph in public places in most of the world1. It is not legal to use the image to sell or endorse a product as the subject of your photograph has rights as well. I never sell my street photography images for commercial purposes to be used in publications or endorsing products etc. This is when the subject is entitled to being paid. And why models exist, or in the future why Ai image making will exist. I do believe that good street photograph that shows the world as it is being lived is going to be a valuable contribution to how people in the future see the world that we live in now. This is one of the best reasons to be practicing street photography.
Tim Jamieson’s2 video is a good introduction to this topic and well worth a watch.
In answer to; ‘Is street photography ethical?’ it like all things, depends on where you stand on the subject of what do we owe the future, do we want to show them how our world looked or do we look away and leave it to the Ai Image generators. To make images, that approximate what our world looks like, as the people in the Ai images will not be real people. I believe this is another whole ethical dilemma that I do not want to get into. As I think we do owe it to people in the future to show what our world is like, as unfiltered as possible.
- Please note* I do not profess to know the laws in all countries in the world, so this should not be taken as legal advise, on the legality of street photography where you live. ↩︎
- Click here to see Tim Jamieson’s website, with his street photography ↩︎