The Photo Ethics Podcast Photography Ethics Centre

In this episode, we talk with Fred Ritchin about photography for a better world. Fred offers a thoughtful reflection on image-making practices and their evolutions over the fifty years that he has been involved in the photography industry. He speaks about the power of images, and how this power relates to the importance of contextualisation and transparency about the image-making process. Finally, he touches on the shifts that are happening with regard to synthetic imagery generated by AI technologies and what this means for the future of photography.

In this episode, we talk with Brent Lewis about becoming the story. He describes the importance of not becoming the story by incentivising people to participate in being photographed, but he also explains that we are, ultimately, part of the stories that we tell with the camera. Brent spends some time debunking some other “J School” ideas that can sometimes perpetuate unhelpful myths about photojournalism, including affirming that the photographs we take impact us in long lasting ways.

In this episode, we talk with Margaret Mitchell about connection and sincerity. She describes some of the projects she has undertaken which look at the experiences of homelessness and of end of life care. She explains how she gained her understanding of ethics and representation through photographing her own family members. Finally, Margaret offers a description of what she believes that true collaboration or collaborative practice entails.

In this episode we talk with Shaminder Dulai about troublemaking. He describes how he navigates ethical considerations, both as a photo editor and as a photojournalist. He defines the difference between a “picture taker” and a “picture maker,” he discusses media literacy, and he describes the responsibilities that come with image making. Shaminder advocates for a kind of “troublemaking” by speaking up when you have questions or concerns.

In this episode we talk with Stephanie Lloyd and Erica Belli from Photovoice Worldwide about expanding the frame. They each explain how their distinct career trajectories led them to photovoice, and they describe why they find this research method valuable. They explore the ethical challenges that come with photovoice, and they also talk about the ethical challenges that photovoice aims to solve.

In this episode we talk with Morwenna Kearsley about ethics as comfort. She describes both her personal projects and her projects working with participants, focusing on ownership and control over the images that are produced. She discusses her choice to focus on making portraits of objects instead of making portraits of people, and she shares the ethical responsibilities she feels as a photographer in the age of the internet.