Debate at the Congrés des Nations

Photographer or subject: photographing colleagues at work.

Today at the Palais des Congrés, a debate was organized and moderated by Jean-François Leroy to talk about the ethical issues raised by a photograph. It depicts a crowd of photographers taking pictures of a wounded man lying on the ground in South Africa. The panelists included Kim Ludbrook (the photographer), Maria Mann (from EPA, the publishing agency), and Jerôme Delay, one of the photographers on the photo. Should photographs of photographers working in the field not be published in order to avoid lending weight to the accusation of voyeurism, of which the profession is often accused?

Introducing the debate, Jean-François Leroy stated that the issue of photographed photographers was in no way new, and that Visa Pour l’Image has never shied away from tackling taboos over the past 20 years. The reason a debate was organized this year in particular is that all the people involved with the photograph were willing and available to come and discuss the issues it raises.

All agreed the debate could be endless. Some did not believe photographs of photographers should be censored, insofar as they show the reality of the job, and that there is no need to feel ashamed. Others condemned those – mostly young – photographers who stand by wounded victims without seeking to help them, furiously snapping away to capture that World Press moment.

Kim stated that photojournalists should not become self-obsessed: at the end of the day, what really matters is the story. As long as each photographer acts ethically – the vast majority said Jean-François Leroy – the issue of showing photographers at work comes second to the story.