A photograph can be a powerful communications vehicle. It can communicate across languages, cultures and time. The message communicated can be tuned by the choices a photographer makes; how they choose to represent the subject at hand. The question then becomes how true is that message being conveyed? Does it accurately and fully represent the people or events depicted? There is also a question of “standing”: when a photographer is of a different social or cultural group from that being documented the question will arise whether they can represent or speak for that group? Or if that photographer is part of the group, then one might ask whether they speak for the entire group?
The ethical representation of subjects in documentary photography has been a contentious issue since the medium’s inception. Photographers like Walker Evans, Edward Curtis, Dorothea Lange, and Mathew Brady faced criticism for their portrayals of vulnerable populations and historical events. Their work, while groundbreaking, raised questions about exploitation, consent, and the manipulation of reality. This complex interplay between capturing powerful images and respecting subjects’ dignity continues to challenge photographers today, as they navigate the fine line between creating social impact and avoiding ethical pitfalls.
Walter Evans and James Agee – Exploiting a Power Imbalance
The 1941 book “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” by Walker Evans and James Agee documents the lives of three tenant farming families in the American South during the Great Depression. The project began in 1936 when the pair was commissioned by Fortune magazine to produce a report on the conditions of sharecroppers, though the magazine ultimately did not publish it. Instead, their work evolved into this book.
This book faced several criticisms for its portrayal of Alabama tenant farmers:
- Exploitation of vulnerable subjects for personal gain
- Lack of informed consent from the farmers
- Voyeuristic and potentially sensationalized depiction of poverty
- Failure to fully capture the systemic issues driving rural poverty
While these criticisms have merit, the work also humanized its subjects and brought attention to important social issues. Evans and Agee spent significant time with the families, aiming to tell their stories with empathy and depth1, 2. However, the lack of clear consent and subject agency remains problematic by modern ethical standards. The book highlights the ongoing challenge for documentarians to balance impactful storytelling with respect for subjects’ dignity and autonomy3.
Edwards Curtis – Depicting “Others”
Edward Curtis’ project “The North American Indian” was an ambitious photographic and ethnographic documentation of Indigenous peoples in North America. Undertaken between 1907 and 1930, the project aimed to record the traditional lives, customs, and cultures of various Indigenous tribes before they were transformed or diminished by expanding European-American settlements.
Edward Curtis faced criticism for:
- Romanticizing and idealizing Native American life
- Staging and manipulation of subjects
- Perpetuating stereotypes
- Lack of individual identity
- Profiting from Native American imagery
His work was accused of presenting an idealized, timeless vision that ignored the harsh realities of colonization and forced assimilation1. Critics argued that Curtis’ practice of staging scenes, removing signs of modernity, and having subjects wear traditional clothing they no longer used in daily life perpetuated stereotypes and created a false authenticity2. The lack of individual identification in many of Curtis’ photos, often using generic labels like “Hupa Woman,” erased personal identities and stories3. While Curtis’ intent was to document vanishing traditions, his approach has been criticized for freezing Native Americans in an artificial past, potentially fuelling misconceptions that persist today1, 2. These criticisms highlight the complex ethical considerations surrounding the representation of marginalized communities in documentary photography.
Dorothea Lange’s – Towards a Social Cause
Dorothea Lange’s work on Japanese internment camps and her broader work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) are key components of her legacy as a socially engaged photographer, documenting the human cost of injustice and poverty in America.
Dorothea Lange’s work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) faced scrutiny for several ethical concerns:
- Staging and manipulation of scenes to create desired imagery
- Potential exploitation of vulnerable subjects during the Great Depression
- Lack of subject agency, with individuals rarely named in photos
- Limited ability to challenge the government narrative as an FSA employee
- Perpetuation of stereotypes about rural white poverty
Despite these criticisms, Lange approached her subjects with empathy and believed her camera could be a tool for social good. Her iconic images, like “Migrant Mother,” raised awareness about the human toll of the Depression, though they also came to symbolize a narrow view of American poverty that overlooked racial minorities and urban workers1, 2. Lange’s work highlights the complex balance between creating impactful documentary photography and respecting subjects’ dignity and agency.
Mathew Brady – Staging
Mathew Brady is best known for his pioneering role in documenting the American Civil War through photography. As a prominent photographer of the 19th century, Brady sought to visually capture the realities of war on an unprecedented scale.
Mathew Brady’s Civil War photography, while groundbreaking, raised several ethical concerns that continue to resonate in documentary photography today:
- Staging and manipulation: Brady and his team occasionally rearranged bodies and objects to create more dramatic compositions, blurring the line between documentation and artistic interpretation1, 2.
- Attribution issues: Brady often took credit for photographs taken by his employees, obscuring the true creators of many iconic images3, 4.
- Exploitation of tragedy: The exhibition of graphic battlefield photographs in Brady’s New York gallery was criticized for sensationalizing war and profiting from human suffering5.
- Lack of consent: Photographing the dead without permission from families raised questions about dignity and privacy2.
These practices highlight the complex ethical terrain of war photography. While Brady’s work provided invaluable historical documentation, it also demonstrated how even well-intentioned photographers can compromise journalistic integrity in pursuit of impactful images. The debate surrounding Brady’s methods underscores the ongoing challenge for documentary photographers to balance artistic vision with ethical responsibility and respect for their subjects1, 4.
Balancing Ethics in Photography
Navigating the ethical landscape of documentary photography requires careful consideration of several factors:
- Informed consent and subject agency
- Preservation of human dignity and avoidance of stereotypes
- Necessity of the image versus potential harm to subjects
- Intended use and context of the photographs
- Potential consequences for those depicted
Photographers must weigh the social good their work can achieve against the risk of exploitation. While there are no universal guidelines, prioritizing subject welfare, building trust with communities, and maintaining transparency about image use can help mitigate ethical concerns1, 2. Ultimately, photographers should rely on their moral judgment, asking themselves how they would feel if they or their loved ones were represented in a similar manner3.
Drawing from these examples, photographers might keep in mind the following:
- Carefully consider whether your work could exploit or bring harm to vulnerable subjects / Consider how your work could exploit or commodify a community’s culture
- Be aware of potential long-term impacts of your work in shaping perceptions of the communities you depict
- Consider if and how the work can benefit the subjects and their communities
- Always obtain full, informed consent from subjects / Transparency
- Give subjects agency and control over their own representation
- Name and identify individuals when possible and appropriate / Attribution
- Avoid sensationalism and voyeurism
- Avoid staging or manipulation that creates an artificial scene, even if well-intentioned
- Provide context to help audiences understand the full story
- Constantly scrutinize your own motivations, biases and ethical choices / Critically examine your own biases and preconceptions