The Photo Ethics Podcast

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,...

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 photojo...

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 coll...

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 speakin...

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 photographe...

In this episode we talk with Nilupa Yasmin about unconscious bias. Nilupa describes the conversations that have shaped her thinking around unconscious bias, accessibility, and representation. She explains why she makes work, how weaving has become an integral part of her practice, and how craft can be a form of activism. She goes on to discuss her approach to participatory work with communities, a...

In this episode we talk with Daniel Regan about (self) care. Daniel discusses how he approaches collaborative work with others and personal work about his own lived experience. He describes how he works with participants in collaborative projects to ensure that they are comfortable sharing their work, and how he makes decisions about sharing personal work about himself. Daniel explains that caring...

In this episode we talk with Jack Moyse about understanding disability. Jack describes the therapeutic benefits that he has found through photographic self-portraiture and the ways that he has integrated performance art into his practice. He discusses ableism, both within the photography industry and in wider society, and articulates the impacts that he hopes to have through his work. What does ph...

In this episode we talk with Salgu Wissmath about queering photography. They describe how there are certain expectations about ethics that are specific to different genres, and they explain how their work tries to push back on some of these expectations in order to promote change in the industry. They highlight the importance of ethical transparency, especially when taking an ethical approach that...

In this episode we talk with Robin Hammond about balancing impact. He explains how ideas of impact fuelled his motivation for starting Witness Change, an organisation dedicated to advancing human rights through visual storytelling. Robin describes some of the difficult ethical decisions he made as a photographer, and he emphasises the importance of talking with local people and people with experie...

In this episode we talk with Rehab Eldalil about relinquishing ownership. She describes different ways that she has used collaboration in her projects, and she unpacks what this means for the ownership of the work. She distinguishes between relinquishing ownership and abdicating responsibility, asserting the responsibilities that she has to the protagonists that she works with. What does photograp...

In this episode we talk with Annie Tritt about intentions and impact. Annie explains their personal journey with photography ethics as a young photographer starting out in their career. They explore their initial misunderstanding that closeness to an individual gives you the right to photograph them, and the responsibility photographers have to the people they photograph. Annie describes being ask...

In this episode, we talk with Fati Abubakar about changing the narrative. Fati explains her motivations for countering misrepresentation and creating new narratives. She explores the ethical issues that can arise when photographers fly in to a country without a deep awareness of cultural nuances and the resulting repercussions. Fati describes her connection to the people she photographs and how in...

In this episode, we talk with Arpita Shah about representing identity. Arpita talks about the process of working with participants on their own representation and how the photographer and participant may see the same photograph differently. She discusses her experience photographing her ill grandmother, the ethical considerations that involved, and the importance of transparency and dialogue with...

In this episode, we talk with Anthony Luvera about collaborative representation. He provides an insight into his approach to collaborative work, what collaboration means to him, and the interplay between collaboration and representation. Anthony explores his early roots in collaborative photography and how they led him to the socially-engaged work he does today. In particular, he describes his wor...

In this episode, we talk with Sebah Chaudhry about diversity and inclusion. Sebah emphasises the need for diversity across organisations and educational institutions, and the impact this can have. She explains the importance of mentorship in order to help photographers understand their worth, and the problematic ways in which organisations can take advantage of photographers of colour. Discussing...

In this episode, we talk with Anne Nwakalor about reading and research. Anne discusses what motivated her to start No! Wahala, a magazine dedicated to showing work by African creatives, in the midst of the pandemic. She explains the need for a narrative shift in the way that Africa is depicted, and the impact that colonialism and white saviorism has had on this narrative. Anne highlights the need...

In this episode, we talk with Tara Todras-Whitehill about becoming a storyteller. She shares how she first became a photographer, and the ethical situations she has found herself in since. Tara describes her current role training NGOs on how to tell stories powerfully and ethically, while explaining the different ethical contexts between journalism and NGO photography. She discusses the importance...

In this episode, we talk with Michèle Pearson Clarke about vulnerability. She talks about the ethical considerations of presenting other people’s vulnerabilities within a gallery space and the responsibility she feels towards the communities she works with. She describes the process she took to be vulnerable herself in her self-portraits. As an artist and a teacher, Michèle explains the impact dif...

In this episode, we talk with Laura Boushnak about questions of representation. Laura discusses the importance of being transparent and upfront with the people you are photographing, of earning their trust and respecting their decision to change their minds. She explores how social media is enabling people to tell their own stories and to choose how they are represented. Laura also explains how gr...

In this episode, we talk with Toby Smith about climate visuals. Toby explains what can make a photograph of climate change successful. He discusses ineffective old tropes, such as images of polar bears, to more effective photographs that allude to solutions or agency. Toby also describes the ethical considerations that went into setting up the Visualising Climate Change open call initiative, as we...

In this episode, we talk with Alex Reynolds about taking a step back. Alex reflects on her own practise and how she first learnt to consider ethics within her work as a travel photographer. She explores the role that social media, this need to share online, and a culture of centring ourselves, plays within the ethics of travel photography. Alex also discusses how she handles the balance of being a...

In this episode, we talk with Ryan Christopher Jones about positionality and power. Ryan discusses the connection between his identity and it’s influence on his photography, and how this ultimately gave him a more nuanced perspective as a photojournalist. He shares his personal experience of ensuring stories are ethically depicted - whether by taking the time to reshape a story, or by doing his ow...

In this episode, we talk with Hannah Fletcher about how to develop a more sustainable photographic practice. She discusses the issue of sustainability within analogue and digital processes. Hannah explains the need she identified for a wider conversation around sustainability within photography and how this led her to found The Sustainable Darkroom. She explains her relationship with science and w...