358: Savannah Dodd - Capturing Conscientiously: Photography Ethics 101

On this episode of The Beginner Photography Podcast, the importance of ethical decision-making in photography is explored. Host Raymond Hatfield and guest Savannah Dodd delve into the personal and contextual factors that contribute to ethical decision making, and the impact of sharing a photograph. They discuss the lack of clear-cut ethical guidelines and provide tips for cultivating ethical decision-making skills. Savannah shares her personal experience navigating ethical challenges working with a charity in Uganda and gives advice on photographing ethical subjects. The episode concludes with a challenge for listeners to create their own photographer's statement of ethics.

Savannah Dodd is a passionate photographer who believes in the immense power of photography for good. With her camera, she strives to shape how others see the world in a responsible and conscious way. Through her work, she hopes to inspire others to be more mindful of their power and use it to create a better world.

Big Ideas with Timestamps:

• 00:05:19 Winning a Photography Competition.
• 00:10:44 Raise ethical concerns in work.
• 00:16:35 Ethics depend on context.
• 00:17:25 Prioritize ethical principles.
• 00:26:29 Think carefully about impact.
• 00:30:08 Question assumptions before photographing.
• 00:36:00 Respect individual experience.
• 00:41:03 Personal connection and motivation.
• 00:46:17 Be conscious of power.
• 00:55:16 Be the ethical decision maker.

Resources:

• Create your own Statement of Ethics
• Check out the Photo Ethics Center and listen to the podcast!
• Savannah’s Photography Website
• Join The Beginner Photography Podcast Facebook Community
• Sign up for your free CloudSpot account to deliver beautiful images galleries today
• Free Lightroom Presets!

Take the 2025 BPP Listener Survey and help me to create the resources that will help you grow as a photographer in 2025!
https://beginnerphotopod.com/survey

Connect with the Beginner Photography Podcast!

• Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
• Send in your Photo Questions to get answered on the show - https://beginnerphotopod.com/qa
• Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!

Chapters

• 5:19 Winning a Photography Competition
• 10:44 Raise ethical concerns in work.
• 18:05 Ethics depend on context.
• 18:55 Prioritize ethical principles.
• 27:59 Think carefully about impact.
• 31:38 Question assumptions before photographing.
• 37:30 Respect individual experience
• 42:33 Personal connection and motivation.
• 47:47 Be conscious of power.
• 56:46 Be the ethical decision maker.

Transcript

0:00

I wouldn't be doing what I was what I do if I didn't like photography and didn't believe that it was a good thing photography can have immense power for good in the world 2