I do wonder though if sometimes we do not help our own cause. Many photographers working large events appear scruffy, rude and aggressive. What kind of impression does wearing a tee shirt advertising a made-up Thai sex parlour make? Or screaming profanities at the person you want an image of? Or striding into a restaurant, up to someone’s dinner table and shoving a camera in their face? Just because they’re locally a little well known. I’ve personally seen all these happen. Were some lout to behave like this without a camera in their hand would we regard it acceptable and appropriate? Personally I do not. I am certain that my habit of dressing well and trying to remain polite and discrete reduces problems*. Although I’m often approached it’s usually with polite interest, showing people images on a preview screen and talking to them about what I’m doing is enjoyable and sometimes productive.

I genuinely feel we need, both individually and as an industry, to take a hard, critical look at our professionalism in how we present ourselves and our work. And how we argue for the essential freedoms we have to make images of, and write about, the world we live in.

*perhaps th fact I’m 1m85 tall, 76Kg with a 78cm waist helps a little here…