Tuesday 18 September 2007

Exploitation or reporting?

Image copyright Mark Page


I have been debating with myself as to whether taking pictures like the one above is right. I took it a while ago, and to be honest I was on the look out for something like this to photograph for a while, to be included in a larger body of work. I only had to wait a week or so as it's a fairly common sight here in central Manchester. Since taking the picture my conscience has been pricked and I have thought about whether I should show it. In my defence it is one image from a series, so on it's own it is out of context. I also told the police about the lad and didn't just leave him. My conclusion is that people lying about in the Street is wrong. I don't know why but it just seems wrong. We as a country have a problem with drink and 12 months after twenty four hour drinking, sorry licencing, things haven't got any better. In fact they are worse, which is partly why I am sat up at bloody 3.36 am on a fucking Tuesday morning. Due to drunken renditions of "Daddy wants me to go to rehab" oh the irony!

If photographers are OK to take pictures of Iraqi women and children who are getting the fuck blown out of them though no fault of their own. Then I guess I'm OK to take pictures of drunk dicks on my home patch...

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