World Photography Day: Why some pictures should never be clicked

With affordable smartphones equipped with highresolution cameras and unlimited access everyone is a photographer on Sunday The hesitation in seeking permission to click a picture of the subject ironically leaves the photographer exposed like the oldschool negatives The right to click seems to overshadow the right to privacy in the aggressive digital era On World Photography Day photographers reflect upon the complex social construct of morality in endangering ones privacy and if they seek permission before capturing the subjectAccording to photojournalist Ranjan Basu be it a critical situation or a conflictridden area there is an unwritten code that the photographer cannot take anyones photograph without their permissionBasu who went to Chhattisgarhs Dantewada on an assignment to cover the Naxals in 2008 says one has to keep the sensitivity in mindI had to seek permission from the naxals to click their pictures They took us inside the jungle but they permitted me to click the photographs from the second day of my tourIn fact one of the leaders did not want to show his face So I wasnt allowed to take his photo from the front he told PTIMayank Austen Soofi blogger and photojournalist who writes popular columns for leading dailies such as Hindustan Times and Mint says he is careful about what pictures he clicks and believes the photograph should not compromise the subjects dignityFor me privacy is very important Especially when youre in a public space then it depends on the photographers common sense Almost every other day people rudely tell me not to click which is justified because of the way they may be feeling But its part of the jobI think it also depends on the vibe of the person whos clicking the photo You cant fake your harmlessness or friendliness As I keep discovering and rediscovering the city I keep coming across familiar places and faces So it becomes easier gradually he says When asked if he first takes the picture of the potential subject or seeks permission from the person Soofi counter questions ask French photography veteran Henry CartierBresson firstI have got an answer but I dont think Ill tell you that Even Facebook and Instagram also ask me he quipsFreelance photographer Sayan Acharya says privacy lies in the morality of the shutterbugI would never click someone whom I dont know or would never click without their consent You never know what the person is feeling in that situation To get pictures most of the photographers bypass this line They just want to click the photo Acharya saysGaurav Awasthi a Canadabased IT professional and amateur photographer shares an anecdote about his visit to Oxford a famous town in Berkshire UK where he took a some pictures of the homelessWhile none of them responded to me capturing their portraits I somehow got disturbed by a deep stare from one of them He made me realise that I was actually taking a benefit of their vulnerabilityI wasnt only shooting their expressions but the cause of those expressions which was directly related to their vulnerable situation And that made me realise the importance of giving privacy to the subject whether its actively sought or passively expected Awasthi says Psychologist Pallavi Ram says the notion of permission is its entirety is a social constructSeeking permission also depends on the context In my opinion whatever the context may be you should seek permission After all it is their face expressions they are private even though they are displayed publicly Come what may it is their right to control the use of those photos she saysSouvik Mukherjee Assistant Professor Amity Law School Kolkata quotes a 19th century paper published by Warren and Brandeis titled the right to privacy wherein they cited Judge Cooley for the development of the concept of right to be let alone the very concept was an outcome of the realisation that development of invention and business methods calls for a notice to provide protect for individuals private and domestic life which have become vulnerable to instantaneous photographs and newsEven in 19th century they felt that law must afford some remedy for unauthorised circulation of portraits Today with the internet governing most part of our life we need the right to be let alone be part of our fundamental right to privacy more than ever as the it represents manifestation of an inviolable personality Mukherjee saysHe adds If the subject matter is minding his own business then a photographer does not have the right to click himher as if it is one then you are encroaching in hisher life without due permissionMukherjee says the apex court took note of the above concept while delivering the recent judgement on right to privacyCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updatesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Except for the change in headline the story has 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