Approach to Travel Photography (Detailed post will be up soon)
1. Research
2. Go deep
3. Be authentic and sensitive
4. Know your equipment
5. Keep good notes
6. Dress appropriately
7. Meet the leader
8. Trust your instincts
9. Give back
10. Have fun
Morals & Ethics of Travel Photography: When You Shouldn’t Take That Photo?
Our photos make our trip last a lifelong. And with this age of digital technology, we are free to click anything and everything that comes our way. If not with the camera, then with the phone. We can share our images instantly with the world through them. In addition, these phones are tiny, discreet, and easy to hide or sneak into places that do not allow cameras. With all this freedom, comes the need for ethical responsibility and being a morally-conscious traveler. Just like we monitor our own lives for accuracy, to depict the best portrayal of ourselves, our trip photos should do the same; portray a true essence of the place we visited. The Photos we click provide a great visual understanding and can inspire hope or cause great harm, depending on how they are presented, or manipulated.
A few guidelines to follow when taking photos:
- Unless you are attending any kind of public performance, where people expect to be on display, always ask for permission before you take a photo of someone. Locals and native people are not “attractions”, and you should be respectful of their presence. The language might be a problem, show them your camera and see how they respond. In some cultures, the people believe that you’re taking a piece of their soul when you take their photo.
- D0 Not Offer Money to someone in exchange for taking their photo. This can be perceived as a form of prostitution in some cultures.
- Do not take photos of illegal activities, as this could put your life in danger. Leave thrill-seeking photojournalism to the professionals.
- Some routes include having to go through security or military checkpoint. Do not take photos of military personnel, soldiers, or police, military camps, etc. Remember, the security of our country or the country we are visiting is more important than our photograph.
- If the sign says “No Photos”, there is usually a good reason. Many sacred places do not allow photos to be taken at all, and some sites have never ever been photographed. Photos should never be taken during a religious ceremony, as it is both disrespectful and disruptive. Even if there is no board, at times, we need to be wise not to click anything.
- Flash photography is usually not permitted in museums as it can breakdown the materials in the artwork.
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