Ethical Principles

WHAT IS THIS CODE OF ETHICS?

I recognise that I have a responsibility to the industry, to society and to the world beyond legal and regulatory requirements. This code of ethics is the commitment that I make to strive to abide by these key ethical principles when working with photography.

I understand that ethics are subjective, contextual, and fluid, and I will continually work to improve this code and increase my awareness of the impact that I have on the world through the images that I produce.

I firmly believe that having a set of ethical principles to guide my photography work can help me to focus my impact on the world in a meaningful way.

CODE OF ETHICS

I will strive to:

  1. Act with integrity and honesty in all business dealings to create a fairer, safer, cleaner, more transparent industry.

  2. Treat everyone in the workplace with respect and dignity and understand my responsibility to my subjects and my audience.

  3. Consider people equal without prejudice or favour and create and maintain an inclusive workplace that is positive and supportive, that appreciates difference and diversity and builds relationships based on mutual respect, regardless of the seniority of roles.

  4. Not tolerate bullying and harassment of any sort, recognise that such behaviour may be unlawful and maintain the highest standards of behaviour in all professional interactions.

  5. Continuously study my craft and the ethics that guide it and exercise all reasonable skill and care in the undertaking of a piece of work, to uphold and further the professional standard of my work and encourage others to do the same.

  6. Ensure that everyone involved in the process of creating a piece of work is fully aware of the expectations that relate to acceptable behaviour and that all recognise that the manner in which they perform their role is just as important as technical competence or creative ability.

  7. Work with socially responsible clients, suppliers and contractors that share my values, those who engage in fair business practices and fair trade, who pay and treat their workers fairly and guarantee safe working conditions, and who are oriented toward minimizing their environmental impact and their carbon footprint. I will encourage them to expect the same from their own clients, suppliers and contractors.

  8. Treat as confidential any information disclosed to me by my clients, in the course of our business.

  9. Respect and celebrate all the shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities of the subjects in the work that I create and avoid alterations that contribute to the detriment of a healthy body image.

  10. Maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code by example and influence, and when confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the highest standards of the profession.