photographic morals

[mr jones]

right anyone in the northwest whos seen the local news over the last few days will have heard about the lad who was murdered by chavs in a totally unprovoked attack in preston on friday night after coming home from a night club.

firstly i know the victim, not very well but me and my flatmate often walk home with him as we head in the same direction, i was talking to him on friday night in the nightclub and would have been walking home with him had me and some other friends not decided that late night curry was infact the order of the day. furthermore the attack took place about 3 mins walk from my house.

this event has deeply shocked (not to mention appauled) preston and prestons alternative music scene (people who have been attacked by chavs for no reason for years and the police have done bugger all - i was attacked on the same stretch of road by a gang last september). and we all want some form of justice to be made.


now the reason i post this is because, last night me and my flatmate walked past the site where the attack happened, and the atmosphere was strange, shocking and very tense, a small shrine built round a police cone with candles and the like, the kind of thing that makes the hairs on your neck stand on end,its horrible, however the scene especially at night is deeply thought provoking, and shocking, its makes a deep inpact on everyone, me being me wonders whether people think it would be morally wrong or insensitive to photograph this.

i guess it floats on the boundry of acceptable. what do people think.





news has just reported that they've arrested 2 people in connection with the murder, hope they throw the book at the little

[stevegreen]

I can't see why you shouldn't take a picture of it to be honest.

[RobertP]

I see no problem in taking a picture of a tribute to someones memory. If it were a major news event like the London bombings you would not be surprised to see the public tributes on TV and in the press.

[mattym]

as its personal to you then its acceptable for you to do it, tbh i would feel a little uncomfortable taking a picture of something like that as i would feel like i was intruding?

[seany]

Firstly Jamie i'm sorry to here about your mate, and actually it's the first i've heard of it. when photography is at it's best it should be thought provoking, and have some personal meaning to the person who took it.

So if anybody should take a photo it should be you.

[seany]

There's going to be many photos i think taken over the next few days. By Photo jouranlists most likely


I dont see it as intruding, the flowers ect are a public show of grief and condolance.

[paulc1]

I think that taking a photo is acceptable and you are recording a tribute to his memory.
I think that the only time Morals would be called into question for me, is when a photographer could offer first aid instead of clicking his or her camera and recording someones pain, instead of helping his subject(if able).

I am very sorry to hear of your poor friends death and hope that the offenders are caught and recieve what they deserve.

[Ymegod]

I too would feel a touch uncomfortable. The memories of a lost friend would speak volumes more than any sort of photograph, for me at least.

[JohnG]

I'm sure I would take one. I was in a similar situation in Portugal last year when there was a shrine to the England fan who was killed in Lisbon. I took a few photos (I didn't feel comfortable at the time though) and I don't regret taking them as they form a part of my Portugal album and serve as a reminder of the bad in life as well as the good.

[lurcher]

Came back from a fishing holiday in America couple of weeks ago. While we were fishing in a remote part of the St Lawrence River my son found a male floating face down in the shallows ( he had been missing for around 4 days and had been the subject of a search by the emergencies services ).
I was fishing about 1 mile away but was aware of some activity going on ( emergency flashing lights etc ). When my son and his party came to pick me up later on they filled me in on the find.
The person fishing with Stu who is an avid photographer took several shots of the rescue services arrival.
I asked him did he photograph the body and he replied " No it didn"t seem right ".
I was thinking to myself would I have taken some if I was on the scene initially ?

Probably would have done for the benefit of the authorities as best evidence first evidence.

You are doing it for you, the journo's will be paid for it. Go for it