Travel Photography
In the 1990s, I embarked on an epic overland journey from Dakar in Senegal via Cape Town, in South Africa and back again to Nairobi in Kenya before also exploring India and Nepal. It was an experience that quite literally changed my life. At the time I was incredibly proud of my collection of some 900 photographs taken on 35mm film, each one so precious because of the memories that it captured. I took photos of landscapes and wildlife, cities and nature, but also many photos of the local people I met. Markets teemed with traders offering all kinds of fruits and vegetables, locally caught fish, clothing, and, in Benin, I remember a whole section dedicated to sandals and all kinds of goods made from old car tyres. Often traditionally dressed women could be seen bartering for the best prices, children ran around playing with balls and homemade toys whilst hawkers tried to convince tourists to buy wooden masks and other souvenirs. Every day there were dozens of scenes each of which would have made an incredible photo.
When I discreetly tried to take photos of people, some people didn’t seem to mind and a few even posed for the camera! Others, however, ran away, covered their faces or looked really angry, clearly not wanting to be part of my adventure. As I continued my journey across the continent, this became a familiar theme. It was so often the people who I encountered who brought Africa to life for me, yet, whenever I wanted to take a photo of someone, it felt awkward. They were working hard, often for very little reward and, despite really wanting a photo as a record of my travels, deep inside I knew I was being intrusive.
A few months and a dozen counties later, I struck up a conversation one day with someone in a market, who explained to me that, to her it felt like the tourists were only taking from local people. After all, we never bought any of the neatly arranged fish or multi-coloured spices she was selling because we were staying in hotels or eating in restaurants… She also told me that some local people believed that when a tourist took their photo, their spirits was captured in the camera. That came as quite a shock to me, but it helped explain the often frantic efforts I’d seen people taking to avoid being in a photo.
So, what can we do here? The answer is actually remarkably simple, and it was brought to life for me in India. I was visiting a temple when a group of local Indian tourists asked me to pose with their group and take my photo! Indeed, on many occasions while travelling, from time to time a complete stranger has turned the table and asked me to join their photo or asked to take a photo of me. It even happened to me once in London! It was a rather odd experience at first, however, when asked, I’ve been happy to agree.
And that’s the point. When the Indian tourists asked me if I could be in their photo; I was happy to agree. So, I came to realise that we too, must also always ask permission from the people we meet when travelling before taking their photos and respect their right to decline. Smartphones have made cameras available to local people all over the world, so there is much less fear of the camera than there used to be. However, before taking a photo, we must earn the respect of the person we are taking a photo of, which takes time and effort, but that is, or course, what responsible travel is all about.
So, when taking photos of people – especially close up photos – think carefully and follow these simple guidelines:
- Only take photos in a way that would be acceptable in your own country.
- Only take photos of people if you’d be happy for someone to take your photo if the roles were reversed.
- Remember the person who’s photo you want to take may get literally dozens of requests to “smile for my camera” each day, which apart from anything else is really tedious.
- Get to know the person who’s photo you want to take, even if this means using a bit of improvised sign language! Only then, if you believe they will be happy…
- Ask for permission and respect their choice.
There is, however, also another dimension. Sometimes local people have worked out that they can earn a little extra money by asking you to pay for their permission to take their photo, and so they are really clear that you must pay something to be allowed to do so. When this contract is agreed, it can result in some great shots… After all, you have earned the right to ask them to help you get a perfect photo in the same way as you would do if you were a professional photographer (maybe you are) and you had hired a model in your home country. My view is that you should not pay when you’re on a guided tour unless the guide tells you to do so, in general its best not to pay for photos, but sometimes there are occasions when it has become generally accepted and does work well; the trick is distinguishing between these scenarios without causing offence. So, do ask your tour guide for advice.
And remember, just as we would never take photos of children at home; it’s never acceptable to take photos of children when travelling. And remember you must never give money or even small gifts to children (or those looking after them) because by doing so will be implying that children can earn an income for their family when not in school.
I hope you found this helpful. So, when you’re next in a market and see someone smiling and looking photogenic, I hope you will pause to talk to them, get to know them and ideally buy something from them as well as asking to take a wonderful photo.
Steve Venton, Traveller and Director at Kingfisher Journeys.
