David Degner: On the choices we make

In this episode, we talk with David Degner about his experiences navigating different ethical choices as a photojournalist working at home and abroad. He draws on specific situations he has encountered during his career to explain how his education in photography has shaped the way that he approaches his work, and how he embeds ethics in his practice as a photographer.

What you’ll find inside:

“Really the biggest use that most of these programmes have is that they help you make connections and they help you eventually get your foot in the door to get that internship that eventually gets you in touch with editors that gets you jobs.” (3:57)

“I remember being surprised. Like when I was in school, we had certain very strict journalistic ethics … and then I get to Egypt and I’m surrounded by a bunch of European photographers and they have often a different set of ethics.” (7:47) 

“Having my own moral guide for how I want to treat other people and layering on top of that my journalistic ethics gives me a clear structure for how like I talk with and interact with other people, and so they can trust me. And so much of the most meaningful stories require that trust.” (10:19)

“By taking assignments, I know what editors want and I often, consciously or subconsciously, try to make the photos they want instead of the photos that I want … so it’s quite important to keep your own perspective.” (16:55)

“I’ve never quite found where the hang up is, if it’s like editors or it’s readers or photographers being trained, but like we are often stuck in these same cycles of stories.” (19:31)

“So much of news photography these days are events that are created to be photographed.” (22:44)

David weighs into the discussion about photographing protestors (27:48)

What does photo ethics mean to David?

“My photo ethics go back more to journalistic ethics, being an ethical journalist trying to accurately portray what’s happening. Really, I guess I don’t actively think about the ethics of my photography like every day that I go and photograph. Now it’s just a constant background method of working. I definitely used to think about it a lot more, but now it’s just like my journalist ethics are like enmeshed in the way that I work. But it’s an important part of what allows me to approach people and try to fairly and accurately tell their stories.” (32:04)

Links:

Online training in photojournalism ethics

The American Diversity Project Workshops

“Occupied Pleasures” by Tanya Habjouqa

Do No Harm: Photographing Police Brutality Protests