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Photo Policy

Albin Hillert | LWF

Overview

CEGA uses photos from the field across our channels. The majority of these photos come from those working in field settings, requiring photographers to be highly conscientious when taking photographs, as they may be used later in publications.

 

Consent Guidelines

No Consent Needed

  • Relevant public spaces (e.g. landscapes)
  • Non-recognizable individuals in public (i.e. faces and identifying features are obscured).
  • Public figures in public (e.g. celebrities, MPs at campaign launches, etc).
  • Crowds in public (e.g. an audience at a conference or a market).

Verbal Consent Required

  • All identifiable individuals, in all settings, whenever possible.
  • Parents, guardians, or teachers of identifiable children (or vulnerable persons) who appear in public.

Written Consent Encouraged

  • Identifiable providers and clients in clinical settings.
  • Individuals in any setting where personal or private information is exposed in the photo or documented in the caption, such as:
    • Health Status/Behavior: e.g. HIV+ persons at a clinic; images of sex work, drug use, etc.
    • Criminal Behavior: e.g. images showing a perpetrator or victim of violence.
    • Political Participation: e.g. images revealing the identity of a protestor or dissident.

Written Consent Required

  • Identifiable people involved in human subjects research, or identifiable household members of research (e.g. children playing in the family compound during a survey). Informed consent must be obtained and documented using protocols approved by a recognized IRB.
  • Photo subjects who may experience negative consequences as a result of having a photo taken.

Not Allowed Ever

  • Private property of a human subject involved in research that could reveal the subject’s identity.

 

Obtaining Informed Consent

Informed consent means that the subject is fully aware of your intentions for taking a photograph. It may be useful for you to show prospective subjects an example of an image that has been published before taking the photo. Before taking photographs in another cultural context, talk to your colleagues and learn how the culture views photography, as well as the issues you are documenting.

Verbal Consent
Obtaining written consent is not always practical. Written documents may have little to people who speak a different language, have low literacy, and who live in cultures where photography or publications are not common. In these cases, it may be appropriate to use verbal consent. When possible, establish a relationship before you start taking photos. When you approach photo subjects in the field, introduce yourself, be courteous, and explain the purpose of your visit or why you want to take photos. In clinical or educational contexts, it is often necessary to speak with the clinical director or teacher before you begin photographing:
“I am taking photos for CEGA, an organization working to improve health in [your country]. Do I have your permission to take some photos for our organization’s use in published material?”

If you don’t speak the same language, communicate with your body language. If you sense any reluctance, confusion, or disdain from possible photo subjects, refrain from taking the photo.

Written Consent
Consider these tips:

  • Prepare your consent form ahead of time in the local language.
  • Ensure that the study’s consent forms and protocols include language about photography (or create a separate photo consent form and protocol). These materials must be reviewed and approved by a qualified IRB.
  • For subjects with low literacy, ask the subject to make a mark on the consent form. If the person does not want to or cannot use a writing tool, obtain verbal permission that is witnessed by someone else who can sign the consent form.
  • Subject to IRB approval, consent may be given by parents or guardians for photographs of minors or those who are developmentally disabled.
  • If you are unable to prepare written consent forms in the local language, orally translate the content of the form to your photo subjects, or use an interpreter.

Sample Language for Written Informed Consent
“I consent to the worldwide publication of photographs in which I can be recognized. I understand that these images will be used for educational purposes and that the photographs may be published with information about my country/location, but without other identifying information such as my name.”

 

Citations

All photos should include a detailed caption and source including photographer, description of the photo (e.g. subject matter or context, if applicable), country and date, if possible.

For photos taken in the context of a research study, the photographer should identify the study by name or include the name(s) of one or more investigators or implementing organizations involved in the study.