The bare minimum: 5 practices to start right away in #globaldev communications

(Or how to prevent people from saying,”Ooooh this stuff irritates the sh#% out of me,” about your publications and materials.)

A guest post by Sierra Ramírez

Ok people who work in international development or in communities where you are a guest with a weird power disparity, here are the *minimums* about photography, specifically with photos that may go on to be used by your (probably ridiculous) nonprofit/social enterprise or (probably imperialist) government agency/corporation. (I’m not even touching conflict zones right now, so don’t get me started on that.) Anyways…here we go:

  1. Ask permission. If a person is recognizable, i.e. not a guy off on a tractor in the distance but a person in a workshop for example, ask if you can take the photo. You should explain what you want to use it for. And then have some emotional intelligence about it. Do they look hesitant? Just don’t take the shot. If you feel weird asking, just don’t take the shot.
  2. Kids. Ask them too, and their parents. Sometimes little kids beg you to take photos with them so they can see it on the camera. So maybe just don’t, or maybe delete it after? Don’t be a creep. And certainly don’t go and take random photos of kids with no one’s consent and then use them in your donor reports and campaign materials later.
  3. Names. Did you know that the people you take photos of have names? Titles? Professions? Homes? Twitter handles? Find out what they want to have published. Put their name in the frickken file name, and put the other info in a document that you store with the pics. Then put as much of that as you can into caption or content when you publish, but at least their name for chrissakes!. The subject’s name is just as if not more important than the photographer’s.
  4. Your organization needs a photography policy. You should publish that policy, stick to it, and be open to getting it called out and updated.
  5. Don’t make being photographed the de facto “cost” of participation in a project. There are plenty of easy ways to facilitate people opting in or out of photos.

Basically, quit being voyeuristic, dehumanizing, colonialist, and sloppy. You’re there providing a service. You work for *them.*

Anyone have other minimums they would add?

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Sierra Ramírez is an organizer with The Future is Feminist and co-founder of Current Movements. Her work is anchored in postcolonial and marxist feminism, and focuses primarily on solidarity care, strategic reflection, direct action, and getting ready for the revolution.

 

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