Saturday, April 5, 2014

Travel Blasphemy #6: It's OK to Pay for Photos



There are travelers who refuse to pay locals in exchange for taking their photos. Some tourists indict locals as greedy or exploitive (!) if they ask for payment. Some tourists think their photos aren't "authentic" or "candid" if they have to pay for them. Then there are those travelers who believe it is corrupting a traditional society if they pay for photos.  


And yet these very same photographers use the photos for their own tangible or intangible benefit, and in ways that the subjects have no control over.


This makes no sense to me. Especially when we're snapping pics of folks who live in a place where it's difficult to earn a sustainable income.

We've all got the right to support ourselves and our families, don't we? 


Doctors and attorneys aren't going to dispense their services for free just because they happen to be standing on the street, are they?

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