Whilst I think that arguments about identity ownership and privacy are very important, I think the general opinion of street photography, or candid photography of people, has really taken a strange turn.

I watched a video not long ago of someone expressing that any kind of street photography is exploitative. I stayed up all night thinking about it because it’s the only kind of photography I really love. After thinking long and hard, on the cusp of deleting everything I’d worked on all these years, I decided I wasn’t exploiting anyone in photographs I had taken.

I rarely ask for consent, because 90% of the photographs I take are of street scenes where the people themselves are not the core story. If I take a photograph of a person, I will tell them afterwards and show it to them and delete if they’re uncomfortable in any way. I never take photographs of people when they are vulnerable, this includes things like eating, sleeping, drinking, caught up in an accident or whatever.

Here’s my rule: if I take a photograph of a street and you happen to be on it, and your face or any distinguishing features are not visible, then I’m good to go. If I make you the central feature and you are recognizable then I need to ask consent.

However, one thing we have to consider in this age is the use of AI. If we post their image somewhere, we’re seemingly allowing that image to be raked and reused in an image that some AI vomits out somewhere (fuck AI). I personally think this makes things even more complex.

It goes without saying, but never kids. Leave kids alone. Unfortunately, AI has made this even worse as I’m reading stories already of vile degenerates using AI to make CP.

Oh yeah, and fuck AI to hell.

TL;DR: if face is recognizable, ask consent. Don’t photograph kids in any way. AI has made this issue way worse be very careful with people’s likeness, they can be made to do anything. Fuck AI.