Humanity before Photography

[Wolfgang]

At the scene of a "disaster" (may it be a bomb blast, plane crash or house on fire), where you are able to help because you were at the scene first, and you are able to dispense first aid, to carry people out of the way, or simply called upon to render some form of assistance, what woud you have done?

(It's either, or. No 2 ways about it.)

 

[Adam Goi]

The choice is clear fro me, even though it may be an out of the blue opportunity but still saving a life (or more) is my priority!

Life is precious, save it!

 

[Wolfgang]

It's good to see honesty from everyone.

Opinions are welcome.

Do share your thoughts.

 

[tucker]

to a photojournalist, I don't know how he will think,

(but they are beings who gets haunted by every story they freeze and had to live to eternity with it)

but same here, I think saving lives are more important.
that is if I know how to.

 

[ckiang]

This reminds me of Pulitzer Prize award-winning photographer Kevin Carter, who was at Sudan (I think) to cover the femine. He spotted a badly malnutritioned kid crawling towards the food distribution centre. A vulture flocks over and waits. He shoots. He later said he chased the vulture away.

Photo was published, he won the Pulitzer but was heavily criticized for this moral/ethics. He was later so stressed by all these that he commited suicide.

Regards
CK

 

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by ckiang
This reminds me of Pulitzer Prize award-winning photographer Kevin Carter, who was at Sudan (I think) to cover the femine. He spotted a badly malnutritioned kid crawling towards the food distribution centre. A vulture flocks over and waits. He shoots. He later said he chased the vulture away.

Photo was published, he won the Pulitzer but was heavily criticized for this moral/ethics. He was later so stressed by all these that he commited suicide.

Regards
CK

I guess this is what i was talking about...

Which one before which... :dunno:

 

[mervlam]

there are ethnics with regards to photojournalism.

 

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by mervlam
there are ethnics with regards to photojournalism.

Ethnics....

Only we can apply that ourselves... no one else. In the field, no one governs the way we behave, when we shoot. Even the sense of decency, which is also a bit of a grey area is quite hard to apply straight across the board.

We have (or at least, most of us) our own sense of ethnics and morals. But put yourself in the shoe of the Photographer CKiang talked about...

A shot worthy of the pulitzer prize.

Picture by Kevin Cater.

Put yourself there. Would you have taken the shot?

(No right or wrong answer, if only for discussion sake...)

Taken off: http://picturenet.co.za/photographers/kc/

 

[Adam Goi]

At the end of the day, it still boils down to how one responds to his/her conscience. If one can live with it, I suppose everything goes!

 

[ninelives]

Originally posted by ckiang
This reminds me of Pulitzer Prize award-winning photographer Kevin Carter, who was at Sudan (I think) to cover the femine. He spotted a badly malnutritioned kid crawling towards the food distribution centre. A vulture flocks over and waits. He shoots. He later said he chased the vulture away.

Photo was published, he won the Pulitzer but was heavily criticized for this moral/ethics. He was later so stressed by all these that he commited suicide.

Regards
CK

hmm, they criticized him because of jealousy or moral/ethics? Only themselves will know.

For those who watch NGC(national geography channel), sometime they also won't help if they saw a monkey about to fall into river, they also won't help if that baby cub or cat is going be eaten by another animal. Know why ? I think they don't want to disturb the nature, they don't want to disturb "life".

So come back to the photograph, if the vulture was chased away, it may die because coz she loss the food for the day.

If you think human life is more important than animal. Think other wise.

 

[kongg]

Will definitely help out ASAP.

 

[Larry]

Originally posted by ninelives
For those who watch NGC(national geography channel), sometime they also won't help if they saw a monkey about to fall into river, they also won't help if that baby cub or cat is going be eaten by another animal. Know why ? I think they don't want to disturb the nature, they don't want to disturb "life".

reminds me of the Prime Directive in Star Trek...

 

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by Larry
reminds me of the Prime Directive in Star Trek...

That's an interesting way of putting it.

 

[ckiang]

Another Pulitzer Prize winner (forgot the name) was at a fire scene. He was shooting the fire, the people at the fire escape at an apartment, etc when the thing gave way. His mind at that time was to shoot. Then he suddenly realized he didn't want to see them fall to the ground and turned away.

So, it's back to ethics again, though in this case, the photographer couldn't really do anything.

Unfortunately, in the world of photojournalism, it's their job whether it's ethical or not. But for the rest of us, I wonder what our response will be like in such a situation. I cant' even say for myself what I'd do....

Regards
CK

 

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by ckiang
Another Pulitzer Prize winner (forgot the name) was at a fire scene. He was shooting the fire, the people at the fire escape at an apartment, etc when the thing gave way. His mind at that time was to shoot. Then he suddenly realized he didn't want to see them fall to the ground and turned away.

So, it's back to ethics again, though in this case, the photographer couldn't really do anything.

Unfortunately, in the world of photojournalism, it's their job whether it's ethical or not. But for the rest of us, I wonder what our response will be like in such a situation. I cant' even say for myself what I'd do....

Regards
CK

HI CKiang... thanks for posting. I understand completely ho wyou feel. Unless confronted with a situation, it would be difficult to gauge how one would react. However, i would think, in most context, or going by the poll, most people would help ahead of snapping away... (Comforting thought to know)

 

[ckiang]

Originally posted by Wolfgang


HI CKiang... thanks for posting. I understand completely ho wyou feel. Unless confronted with a situation, it would be difficult to gauge how one would react. However, i would think, in most context, or going by the poll, most people would help ahead of snapping away... (Comforting thought to know)

Then again, some of the non-photojournalists would snap anyway, then try to profit from the pictures. Which I think is unethical.

Regards
CK

 

[darkness]

I'm no Adam King (even then, he's ficticious!), so yes, I'll save lives first.

 

[Tweek]

With regards to the Kevin Carter thing, you guys missed out an important detail. He didn't help the malnourished girl because the photographers were strictly warned not to get in contact with the victims, as most of them were plagued with communicable diseases. It was because of this that Kevin Carter didn't help her, the most he could do was to chase the vulture away, and take the picture. Well, he could not live with it and took his own life.

So for that, it's not an issue of morals vs photography. It's more of whether you will risk your life to save the kid, who (probably) won't live much longer. Would you? I'm not too sure myself....

 

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by Tweek
With regards to the Kevin Carter thing, you guys missed out an important detail. He didn't help the malnourished girl because the photographers were strictly warned not to get in contact with the victims, as most of them were plagued with communicable diseases. It was because of this that Kevin Carter didn't help her, the most he could do was to chase the vulture away, and take the picture. Well, he could not live with it and took his own life.

So for that, it's not an issue of morals vs photography. It's more of whether you will risk your life to save the kid, who (probably) won't live much longer. Would you? I'm not too sure myself....

Hmm.. more food for thought... :dunno:

 

[binbeto]

Originally posted by ninelives

For those who watch NGC(national geography channel), sometime they also won't help if they saw a monkey about to fall into river, they also won't help if that baby cub or cat is going be eaten by another animal. Know why ? I think they don't want to disturb the nature, they don't want to disturb "life".

So come back to the photograph, if the vulture was chased away, it may die because coz she loss the food for the day.

If you think human life is more important than animal. Think other wise.

Such an old thread being dig out!!

For a leopard stalking a deer.
I think the NGC photographer know not to alert the deer as it is a normal cycle.. By saving the deer, the leopard would probably starve. But if it's a case of man being stalked by the leopard. I am sure the photographer would alert him.. and maybe help to chase the predator away.

Our lives might not be more precious than that of an animals. What set us human apart is compassion, esp toward our own kind.. (War is another story all together)

In summariy, I belive most people will save life 1st instead of shooting.