An essay about morals and ethics in street photography. Essentially my point is this:

To think too much about morals and ethics in street photography is counter-productive.

All morals and ethics are subjective.

All morals and ethics are derived from human customs. There are no ultimate values, no ultimate morals, no ultimate ethics.

Why feel guilt in street photography?

I don’t think you should ever feel guilt in street photography. 0 ounces of guilt. Shoot like a child: no prejudices, no boundaries, no limits.

Why do we even feel guilt in street photography? I think it comes from Christian ethics and morality:

It is a moral evil to disrupt, bother, or hurt others.

Furthermore Victorian English values permeate much of American values:

1. Be prim and proper
2. Don’t speak too loud
3. Don’t take up too much space
4. Don’t be brash
5. Talk quietly
6. Don’t disrupt or interrupt others
7. Don’t bother others; keep to yourself.

The problem? All of these values are antithetical to street photography. It’s impossible to shoot street photography without the small chance of bothering, annoying or disrupting or others. It’s part of the game!

Don’t let others superimpose their morals and ethics upon you

As much as people say they’re “open minded”, they’re not. Most people believe that their values are the ultimate values, and if you act in a way which is contrary to their table of values, they will try to punish you (verbal, physical, emotional).

Privacy?

Question:

If you’re in a public space, do you have a “right” to privacy?

Legally, no.

However how about from a moral or ethical perspective?

I will make the claim no. Your “image” in a public space is this:

Atoms of light bouncing off your face, and being encoded as 1s and 0s in a digital sensor.

Furthermore, I don’t believe there are any “fundamental human rights”. I prefer having my privacy (incognito mode), but I don’t think it is an intrinsic right.

Photographing those “less fortunate” than you

A case many photograhers make:

Don’t photograph homeless or mentally disabled people, because they’re ‘less fortunate’ than you.

But then who are we to determine who is “less fortunate” than us? What if the homeless person is actually more fortunate than us? (they have more freedom and less stress in their lives than us). By deeming others as “less fortunate” than us, we are actually disparaging them. In theory if we believed in “equal rights” we would photograph a homeless person the same way we would photograph a “normal” person.

Just photograph it.

No morals and ethics in street photography; just respond, shoot instinctively, and don’t think too much about it. Morals and ethics will obstruct you in street photography.

Shoot on!

ERIC