[Leica] Is this ethical?

[lluisripollphotography at gmail.com (Lluis Ripoll)]

Hi Ted,

You are absolutely right with:

<<What the years have taught me is to use common sense and look at the 
situation if it were reversed???? And you were being photographed?

This discussion without question " shoot, stop, or shoot?" Can go on 
forever. But the answer lies in the heart and soul and emotions of the 
photographer! And certainly not by the concepts of others! Certainly if 
you've never been there!>>

I don?t know if in English there is said that common sense is the most 
uncommon of the senses?. , we say this here?, and the bad point of this is 
that, when it is not common sense the Government made laws and than the 
things become crazy.

I?m not professional and never been in a dilema as you say, but I understand 
that a professional shall cover the facts, of course with a ethical point of 
view, actually we see too frequently scary images. Maybe you will agree the 
statement of a professional photographer who has covered the Beograd 
revolution in 1998 ?never show to your Editor the pictures you don?t want be 
published, because is almost sure that the Editor will choose these ones?.

Cheers
Lluis

El 15/07/2014, a las 19:42, Ted Grant <tedgrant at shaw.ca> escribi?:

> Good day Crew.
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Is this ethical?
> 
>>>>>> Precisely. What most members seem to be saying is to keep
> photographing them, because we are within our rights to do so. That,
> in my opinion, would be legally right, but ethically and morally
> wrong. Let me make it clear, before the sky falls on my head, that
> that is only my view, and I will continue to follow it, but, as ever,
> YMMV.
> Cheers    Jayanand <<<<<<<
> = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
> 
> Hi Jayanand,
> OK CREW from real life day to day as a news photographer shooting life of 
> the moment.
> You are on the street when a big car-vehicle crash takes place. Bodies 
> flung out through the wind shield lying across what's left of car. "YOU 
> START SHOOTING EVERYTHING, DEAD, DYING AND CRYING!" 
> 
> People all over the place helping, you are shooting and "someone demands 
> you stop and go away" ? My response? I keep right on doing my job without 
> hesitation! However? And most important! You take care at not doing 
> close-ups of the bodies and never anything showing faces of the victims.  
> "SO YOU CONTINUE YOUR COVERAGE WITHOUT HESITATION!" 
> 
> WHY? Well first of all it's a news type situation and there's lots of 
> folks giving aid and or covering bodies!!  It sounds like the photographer 
> is nothing more than..."A COLD HEARTED SOB!" NOT SO! JUST DOING HIS/HER 
> JOB!!" Will body pictures be published? NOT LIKELY! Images become ARCHIVE 
> material never to be seen other than by  researchers in the future.
> 
> #2 Situation:
> Phone rings and you are quickly given instructions by the news city 
> editor! "BIG FIRE WITH FAMILY...SOME DEAD!" 
> You arrive, the fire is out and firemen are inside looking for 
> victims?????? Now without a clue of what's going on nor what's happened 
> you see firemen emerging with three stretchers, bodies covered. You start 
> shooting and it's evening so your attached strobe on your 4X5 Speed 
> Graphic begins flashing every time you "CLICK!" 
> 
> You are completely innocent up to this point as you do not know who the 
> victims are? Just another news assignment on the night shift! 
> 
> When all of a sudden a man is screaming, yelling all kinds of obscenities 
> at me as he runs toward me to stop taking pictures. I mean this man was 
> completely out of control! As well as crying unbelievably so! While 
> yelling.....
> "STOP TAKING PICTURES OF MY GIRLS!"  THE VICTEMS????????????????????
> 
> His three young daughters! :-( 
> 
> I'm dead in my tracks! The camera dropped loosely in my hand by my side 
> and I left the scene immediately!!!!! Both crying in fear of the fathers 
> wrath and my emotions! How could I possibly continue? I cried and cried as 
> I sat in my car trying to regain my composure before returning to the 
> paper.
> 
> You see this occurred on my second night shift working for a newspaper as 
> an absolute rookie! Some assignments you just never ever forget! :-( But 
> most certainly you learn about "compassion and when to stop taking 
> pictures!" 
> 
> What the years have taught me is to use common sense and look at the 
> situation if it were reversed???? And you were being photographed?
> 
> Oh there's been times you walk away without a "click!" Wishing you were 
> back home with your wife and children!
> 
> This discussion without question " shoot, stop, or shoot?" Can go on 
> forever. But the answer lies in the heart and soul and emotions of the 
> photographer! And certainly not by the concepts of others! Certainly if 
> you've never been there!
> 
> Dr. ted 
> 
> 
> 
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