Ethics Committee

PHOTOGRAPHING DEGRADATION VS. BEAUTY

Introduction
By Michael Frye, Former Chair, Ethics Committee

In this issue we're pleased to have James Balog and John Fielder present their views on whether nature photographers have an obligation to show environmental problems in their photography.

We all love to make photographs that portray nature's beauty. But if the public is bombarded with images of pristine nature, it could create a false impression that everything is okay with our environment. Do we have an obligation to show that everything is not okay, that there are serious problems that threaten to destroy the wonderful subjects we photograph?

NANPA does not set or enforce rules for ethical conduct. Rather, it is our hope that articles like these will promote thought and discussion among NANPA members, and allow each individual to make informed choices about ethical behavior. While nature photographers often disagree on ethical issues, they usually show respect for other people's opinions, and refrain from personal attacks. We hope this trend will continue.

We invite readers to comment on this topic. We may publish (with permission) some of these responses in Ripples or on the NANPA web site. Please send your comments to arogers@resourcenter.com.

Seeing Beauty
by John Fielder

Seeing Beyond Beauty
by James Balog

Member Responses to the Articles

Back to Ethics Committee home

Go to Committees Overview