Morality and Social Photography

While previous readings have shed light on the role of photography in entertainment and law enforcement, Hein’s essay offers yet another way that the modern individual interacts with the photographic medium. In his essay, Hein suggests that the role of social workers is to “educate and direct the public opinion” as “Servants of the Common Good.” He argues that photography is the perfect medium for such an endeavor because “non-essential and conflicting interests have been eliminated.” His enthusiasm for photography is the result of its ability to transcend nationality, language, and age. However, in my opinion, the photograph’s ability to be exposed to such a large audience requires more discretion in its use. Although the mechanical nature of photography removes, to a certain extent, subjectivity from photographs, the problem of doctoring and faking photographs should be of primary concern in social photography. Hein dismisses the devaluation of social photography through such means by proclaiming that “photographs of child labor in the Carolinas would stand as evidence in any court of law.” He urges social workers to take up photography and to further their cause for a common good. But by simply having a cause isn’t the photographer loosing objectivity in his or her work? I guess it is fitting that Hein brings up advertisements in the beginning of the essay. While one might morally justify the faking and doctoring of photographs to advance social justice, photography used in advertisements is also used to advance a cause –the advancement of a product and its company’s profits. Thus, it seems that Hein is arguing that as long as its cause is good, the authenticity of a photograph should not be questioned. In the end Hein quotes Eliot to illustrate the need for social photographers: “It is needful we should remember their existence [of the poor], else we may happen to leave them out of our religion and philosophy, and frame lofty theories which only fit a world of extremes.” However, to me Eliot’s quote urges more the need for just and unbiased photography more than simply social photography.