Ethical Storytelling – not just buzz words (& why it matters)

I’ve photographed people across five continents. I’ve been in rooms where the camera could easily become a tool of extraction, where it was the easier choice was “getting the shot” rather than focusing on impact and human dignity.

That’s not the photographer I am.

Ethical storytelling means the person in front of my lens has power too. Consent isn’t a formality. Representation isn’t an afterthought. And the language we use; cocreating a photo, not taking one, isn’t semantics or being PC. It’s a whole philosophy. That distinction matters. It’s the difference between extracting a moment and honoring it. 

Ethical storytelling isn’t a buzzword I throw around. It’s a practice. It means I ask before I shoot, I listen before I frame, and I walk away only when the person in front of my lens feels seen not consumed or used. Photographers Without Borders calls it respect, consent, and accountability.

I call it the only way I know how to work now after lots of learning and through adjusting and being open to continuing to improve my process. This has been hard fought through my experiences and I edited A LOT and am still learning. 

Ethics as part of my process, Not Add-On

• No “capture,” no “take a picture” ever
• Consent-based, collaborative process
• Model and informed consent for these in brand storytelling and organizational storytelling sessions (II create these docs for my clients)
• Won’t stage what isn’t real (will suggest new pens or a cute folder in your brand colors if the old ones are ugly; won’t push props that aren’t actually used or tell a story that you love)
• This is approach, not just skill worth stating CLEARLY: the ethics ARE the differentiator and it takes time to do something right IMO