Our Rights to Privacy/ Our Rights as Photgraphers

Reading Lester’s article on rights to Privacy was more informational then anything. I never have really put thought in to what kind of rights people and photographers have. This is a very interesting topic that touches many issues, freedom of press, free speech, the rights of Americans, etc. This article helps define what, in the eyes of the public, is deemed ethical and what seems wrong. What I got out of the article was two things. One being the general guidelines for what is deemed ethical in photojournalism, and the other being a series of examples that show how these lines can sometimes be unclear, indistinct, and uncertain. In general, I agree with the article and think that, for me, it has given me a sense of what I can shoot and how to go about getting my shots in an ethical manor. Some of the stories/ examples did surprise me. I often found myself forming an opinion as I begin reading the example but as I read on I was interested and often surprised to find the outcome. For example, the case of Hilda Bridges, I was surprised that the picture was published at first. I wasn’t sure if that was right, but as I read on I did agree with the courts that the photographer does have the right to print what is deemed “newsworthy”, and as long as the photographer actions was NOT extreme and does not go “ beyond all possible bounds of decency”.
I did like reading about “Migrant Mother”. It was cool to hear how that picture/photo affected the life of that woman. Not only did the image make her face an icon of the times but I found it even more interesting that in her later years, over 15,000 dollars were donated to her when she became ill. Plus, it was cool to get a little extra history about the photo on the cover. That is amazing to me, because of the photo not only did she receive mass recognition but it even brought assistance to her n her ailing years. These rules for people rights to privacy are important because we as photographer need to know where the lines are drawn, and what lines we should not cross. A good example of crossing those lines would be Ron Galella and the unethical manor in which he pursued Jackie Onassis. We must respect the privacy rights of others. Overall, I don’t dispute any of the claims that Lester makes. I don’t exactly think that a person should shoot in to a public window, but I will defend his right to do so. The overall message that I took form the article and I believe all should take from the article, is the most important, evident statement made. “Legal rights should not be the guiding principles for ethical consideration. What is legally acceptable is not always the right/(ethical) action to take”.

Sontag's Writings

Yes indeed, Sontag does make some radical claims. One in particular, that I see truth in, is the claim that although photographs can “abet desire in the most direct, utilitarian way”, the matter is more complex when photographs are use to stimulate moral impulse. One can see how a dirty magazine is a collection of the most basic images of desire to aid in a specific response, arousal. I see and agree with her notion that desire has no history. I see her notion as the idea that desire and intimacy is everywhere (“in all foregrounds”) - imbedded in to all forms of nature. It being a part of all history, it has been and is everywhere and there for is nowhere, or better put, seemingly “abstract”. To use a photograph to invoke moral feelings is more complex. She goes on to say that these moral feelings are imbedded in to history. I do agree with that idea. I think that if you take a look at any culture in the world or even any functioning society you will see clearly their structure of moral beliefs and feelings. It is what we as people are taught as right and wrong, however it may be perceived. But where do we get our moral beliefs from? Our parents and they learned from theirs and so on and so forth. When you take a broad enough look, you realize that it has been something imposed on mankind since the beginning of time. It has stretched across many cultures and taken many different forms. I see that most moral belief systems are usually somewhat rooted from religion. In general, America’s belief system is loosely based on the Judeo-Christian belief. None the less, what ever beliefs you may embody, they are the ideals that we as individuals have come to see if not live by. When images are seen and those images show great, ghastly, and gory contradictions to those moral belief and standards that we have set forth, then the complex mater of the image stimulates a moral impulse and response to such images. A good example that we have seen in our readings is Lewis Hine’s photos for the National child labor committee. Those pictures showed children’s deterioration overtime due to the workload, and exposed them to a wide range of viewers. It was specific, it was concrete, it questioned and evoked the moral beliefs of the viewer. It caused awareness and upheaval. It hit home and struck a moral cord in the public because so. It depends on the degree of familiarity with these images, your belief s and moral feelings that will ultimately decided how the viewer will perceive it.