The Program Works Ethics and Responsibility

Photo ethics

Can you do that to a photo? Programs such as Photoshop make it easy to make major and minor changes to photographs That ability has caused photo ethics to dominate discussions among editors and photojournalists

Can you do that to a photo? Ethics become a slippery slope when the staff begins to think it’s OK to make small changes – “Flopping” or reversing a photo – Moving a ball into a sports shot – Adding a person to a crowd shot

Can you do that to a photo? The only things that a staff should do to alter a photo are those things that can be done in a darkroom with a single negative

Alterations that are acceptable. Cleaning lint, dirt or fingerprints from a print Cropping out extraneous or distracting elements Adding filters to enhance or reduce contrast Dodging an overly dark area Burning an area that is too light Sharpening the image through an application such as Photoshop Correcting color problems

Alterations that are NOT acceptable. Removing an element from a photo Adding an element to a photo Reversing the direction of a photo Moving an element to a different position after the photo was taken Changing a photo to give a different impression, such as making an individual look criminal by putting the face in shadows Combining photos or adding parts of one photo to another Altering the colors so that they do not represent the truth of the original situation

Provide a fair and accurate representation. Photographers should record what is happening in a particular place rather than directing people how to behave or pose Photographers should make sure the photos represent what really happened rather than providing untrue information through a photograph Photographers should understand their rights in public situations

Photo illustration vs. action photo. If a photo is posed or created for the purpose of illustration, then the caption should indicate that it is a photo illustration –A photo illustration is a visual way to show something that couldn’t easily be photographed otherwise –An action photo captures the action as it is happening without the photographer providing instruction to those in the photo Documentary journalism — photos that are taken to tell a story — cannot be altered in any way that deceives the public –Fair and accurate reporting is the criteria for judging what may be done to a photograph

Exceptions to the rule. Often, a photo illustration is obviously a creation of the photographer –It is created to tell it’s own story –It is obvious to the reader that it is not real but rather has been manipulated to tell a particular story The professional media has had its share of error in judgment –National Geographic’s cover in February 1982 –TIME magazine’s rendition of the O. J. Simpson photo

Student Activity Visit the Web site Divide the staff into groups of three or four and have each group read an article on photo ethics and write a report recommending ideas for a yearbook photo policy.

Student Activity Visit the Web site Divide the staff into four groups and have them discuss each section of the site and determine how these rules would apply to photo ethics. Create a code for each of the SPJ sections that would deal with photography.

Student Activity Web sites to visit – – – –