1.

People, the land, the water—all the beings—have voices; we share our gifts to amplify them.

With decolonization as one of our core values, we strive to decolonize the storytelling process. Why? Because nearly every problem we seek to address today was in some way caused by unchecked colonialism and capitalist frameworks.

Note: Decolonization is a lifelong process of learning, unlearning, and dismantling white supremacy and the systems some of us benefit from or are oppressed by.

2.

Co-liberation is the goal.

“Helping” often infers an often unhealthy power dynamic with harm as an unintended result. Instead, we strive towards our co-liberation, moving towards collaboration and allyship.

Note: Being an “ally” is not something we can claim or wear like a badge; it is not a destination we arrive at; instead it is something that is earned through showing up in a collaborative way.

3.

“Right relationship” creates a safe container for the work to be held.

We strive to be in right relationship with our collaborators because it reduces the possibility of harm and increases the possibility of collective upliftment.

Right relationship involves recognizing the interconnectedness of all things, and therefore committing to standing in reciprocity, accountability, integrity, respect and understanding.

4.

Maintain integrity and accountability throughout the process.

We strive to maintain integrity of the image and story, and to maintain accountability by checking in with our collaborators before, during and after the editing process (photos and contextual descriptions).

We realize it is important to be aware of our own positionality and privilege so that we can actively avoid: stereotypes; “white saviour”/ colonial/ centring/ oppressive narratives; shaming; cultural appropriation; anti-Blackness; cultural fetishism/ exoticism/ romanticism; etc.

5.

Fluid, free, prior and informed consent.

We strive to do no harm to anyone directly or indirectly (mental, physical or emotional).

We strive to maintain a continuous feedback loop, obtaining explicit consent in advance, especially for photographing the likeness of equity-seeking peoples, children and other non-consenting individuals, or in cases where one is benefitting financially.

We remember that consent is fluid and should be accurately informed (please see below for more on consent).

6.

Follow community protocols.

The process of documenting stories is just as important as the story itself. All communities have different protocols that must be understood and accepted before engaging.

We give or accept gifts if it is culturally-appropriate or relationship-based. We do not accept compensation, favours or gifts that might influence the outcome of the project, and do not make promises we can’t keep.

7.

No selfies or photographs with wildlife.

The harm clearly outweighs the benefits of encouraging close contact with wild beings (even in captivity) for several reasons, including but not limited to: zoonotic disease transfer; encourages more exploitative sanctuaries and zoos to proliferate; promotes wildlife trafficking; devalues the most important goal of keeping these beings in their natural habitat.

The values and narratives we promote or don’t promote make a difference.

8.

Decolonize the language.

The language of photography is rooted in colonial violence and militarism. We can begin to deweaponize our language, becoming more mindful of our process:

• Instead of shoot: make, create, document or photograph

• Instead of capture: make, create, depict, photograph, express, portray, or record

• Instead of take: make, create or document

• Instead of shot: image, photo/photograph or picture

• Instead of trigger: shutter or button

More on this topic here.