As Halloween comes to a close and we reflect on all the creative costumes roaming the streets, I think it’s a good time we take a moment to talk about cultural appropriation. We are blessed as photographers to be able to view images from any culture in the world through the Internet. It’s pretty cool that we have access to unlimited inspiration from just about everywhere, something the founding fathers of photography had nothing close to. It's important for photographers to have a vast basic knowledge of cultures, subcultures, and social classes so that we can always use culture with respect and honor in our images.
Aside from sacred things, it isn't wrong in itself to share the cultures of the world, but we have to do it right, to leave people feeling positive about the images knowing they are looking at something close to what they'd see traveling to these places. Before choosing elements to use in themed and styled shoots it’s important that we take the extra step to learn the background of what we want to photograph in order to leave little room for disrespectful images. Although you should care, even if you don’t personally find it important to avoid conflicts with your viewers you should still do this. It’s never a negative thing to receive messages like “you portrayed my culture really well” rather than, “this is a disgusting insult to my culture.” Although constructive and sometimes not so constructive criticism can be good for us, we would all rather see the compliments and appraisal in the comments under our photos online.
I want to share this short video from Teen Vogue below. It's an eye-opening and straight to the point explanation of why we should all care about culture and the proper capturing and sharing of it. The women in this emotional video share their history, and their stories are the reasons we should do our research before using elements from other cultures to break the heartbreaking patterns of appropriation. They share the real meanings behind the garments that we often see poorly redesigned and mass produced into inaccurate costumes and fashion.
In addition to this powerful video here are a few essential steps to take before executing a photoshoot inspired by an unfamiliar culture. Before creating my own photoshoots from the ground up portraying a culture, I prefer to look for local subjects who are actually immersed in that culture I am interested in. The images become powerful when you bring real people with the traditional clothes right out of their closet and a whole lot of true stories to tell to your lens. Instead of replicating, by photographing people who are part of a culture we are sharing the truth. But if you can't find anyone to help you out here are some tips to keep in mind when recreating culture through your own imagination and renderings.
1. Do Your Research
We have the world at our fingertips, get on the web and gather a few credible sources documenting the culture or elements you'd like to use.
2. Ask Around
Your friends and family online and in real life have a vast amount of cultural knowledge. The stories you get from real people are far more valuable and one of a kind than what you'll find on Google. Because the idea of culture is so vast, a lot of it is missing from the Internet or hard to find on your own. Face to face conversations about culture is as real as it gets.
3. Have a Solid Plan
Leave no room for any "winging" it, as that's when appropriation starts to happen quickly. Get the proper materials, a model that will mesh well, appropriate makeup and hair, and a posing plan appropriate for the culture.
4. Make Some Prints of the Real Deal
When I aim to do justice to something when photographing it, I make sure to print out a few images as reference to look back at throughout the shoot. This is a great way to stay on track and not take the culture out of context.
5. If Your Images Aren't Doing a Culture Proper Justice, Try Again
Rather than potentially offending people if you don't nail a culture's elements in a proper way, fix what you need and re-shoot it. This is worth the extra time and effort.
That I did. Look sometimes what we mean doesn't come through properly on a forum and we all can get sucked down a rabbit hole of arguments without purpose. Just wanted to diffuse all that.
Funny part about this one is I agree that the video is unnecessarily sensitive, and wanted to use theories on cultural appropriation and assimilation that I had a little experience with to show that, but I guess that got lost in the back and forth.
Lol. “Batshit crazy” indeed.
^ lol. This is fun.
post some more screen grabs of words from Google!
As I said earlier, the context of this video--Halloween costumes--is not appropriately applied to art as the author of the article is attempting to do.
Yeah I have to agree with you on that. Were you responding to a point I made and disagreeing with it? I mean that sincerely; I'd would like to address it if that's the case.
BTW I really appreciated your background on Hawaiian culture earlier: that moment in the video where the woman said her grandmother wasn't allowed to dance raised my eyebrow as well, but I didn't know enough about the culture to comment, so I just gave you the "thumbs up".
Again, you need more background context before you conclude anything. Who is this person? Are they a legal resident of the nation that wears suits? What is the history of the development of the suit itself? Is the wearer's intent to add suit-wearing into their identified culture, or to assimilate into a new culture? Are they wearing other items of clothing that represent their culture, and if so, does this make their outfit a hybridization? All of these are rhetorical questions, by the way.
Written today by Daniel Laan on Fstoppers (Fine-Art Landscape Photography (Part 1): The Magically Appearing Photograph). And I couldn't agree more.
"Ask yourself: What is it that’s caught my eye? And more importantly: Why would you pay attention to it? Is it the texture, color or shape? Once you’ve established the thing you notice, it’s up to you how you would like to portray that through photography. Minimize, dramatize or abstract"
This is what makes creative art - the ability to notice something that stands out to you and then to emphasize, subtract, dramatize or whatever else suits your artistic vision, not restrict, limit or narrow to the ever shrinking list of what's acceptable maintained by the left's thought police.
Stop trying to censor other people's creativity. You do not define what is morally right and wrong.
I agree with everything you said right up to, “… whatever else suits your artistic vision, not restrict, limit or narrow….” Then you went left-field —no pun intended, but appropriate, wish I'd thought of it— when you concluded with, «…the ever shrinking list of what's acceptable maintained by the left's thought police». At that point, you lost me.
You were so close! If you think mockeries of others culture is a partisan political issue instead of the social issue (or even socio-political issue) it really is, then you missed the point of the article and the video.
It does not matter what you express or feel. You are free to feel that way and express it. But when it offends others, even if you did not intend to offend, (especially if you did not intend to offend), it behooves you to at least try to understand how and why it was perceived as offensive.
For example, many Muslims are offended that I call myself, ‘Karim,’ instead of, ‘Kareem,’ or ‘Abdul-Karim.’ The very first time this issue came up, did I say, “Tough cookies for you, if you are offended! It's my name and that's that!” No! I inquired as to why they were offended.They told me. We spoke about it. Now, if any other Muslim takes offence to my name, I can address the issue, having clearly understood it. Thus far, only two of my Muslim friends no longer call me, Karim. One calls me, Kareem, the other calls me Abdul-Karim, (or sometimes, A.K., for short), and I am okay with that. When other non-Muslims call me, Kareem, I correct them.
Now why should others care what my name is and why should I care if my name offends them? Because we are human, and that is what humans do; we care. Once you start to say, “No one can tell me how to express myself. I should be free to say whatever I want, even if others are offended,” then you stop being human. It is not a matter of liberals vs Conservative, nor left-wing vs right-wing, in is a caring or not caring issue.
I have still not changed my name, and I do not intend to do so, but I care enough that it is offensive to some of my friends, that we talk about it, and we compromise.
People seem to miss the point of this well written article, (and the mostly well articulated accompanying video), that it is not a ban on using other people's cultural identity in one's art (or even daily expression), but to not take the time to understand it, and end up using it in a manner which members of that culture find offensive.
Even if one gets the authenticity of the costume correct, one may get the appropriateness of the costume incorrect; such as dressing up in a manner that a Bedouin Arab might as they travel through the desert, then say, “look, I am a terrorist!” I have never seen Eric Rudolf, Timothy McVeigh, nor any of the late 20th to early 21st century terrorists in America dressed like a Bedouin. In fact, they all dressed like Billy Bob Johnson next door. Indeed, I can't understand why Ted Kaczynski, Terry Nichols, or Stephen Paddock would even be dressed that way.
To show the contrast, it is one thing to put on a black, red, green, & gold tam with fake dreads coming down the sides, and walk around with a RedStripe, saying,“Irrrrrieeee, mon! Yeah, mon. Rrrrreggae, mon,” and say you are being Jamaican, (and makes me [feel like I] wanna punch somebody in a tam), and a totally different thing when Jay Leno, —or was it Conan O'Brien???— showing Halloween costume fails, had, ‘receding-hairline-dreadlocks-with-bad-comb-over.’ The former is offensive for many reasons, (including the fact that Rastafarians, having taken their Nazirite vows, do not drink alcohol), and the latter is BOABDL funny! (…unless you have a bad comb-over).
This is not about photographers (or others) not being able to use others cultural elements in their expressions, but to do it correctly, respectfully, and without intended, or unintended offence.
Karim, couldn't disagree with you more here.
Violence in response to how someone dresses? wow.
Some of the best art is offensive, whether intended or not. Critics found much of Picasso’s unorthodox work completely unacceptable. Salvador Dali, a Spanish surrealist in the mid-20th century, disgusted many with works including his 1929 “The Great Masturbator” featuring nudity and sexual overtones that would make even a progressive hedonist blush. How about Sally Mann's naked portraits of her kids? We could go on and on here.
Art is expression, feeling, and should NOT be limited to what all people find non-offensive. In fact, it's practically impossible in today's day when there are people who are so ready to be offended that they want to attack people for what they say or wear.
Think about how late night comedians used to be funny? Now, all they do is left leaning political rants. Being politically correct has literally ruined comedy.
«…and make me wanna punch….»
I am not being violent. I am expressing a feeling. IT MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH!!!!!!!!
It does. This is not about violence. It is about FEELINGS!!!
…and not feelings about how they dress. Feelings about their mockery!
«…and should NOT be limited to what all people find non-offensive.»
I agree with that. The joke about the bad dreadlocks comb-over was probably offensive to some people. But an unwarranted stereotype of Bedouins being the typical terrorists in neither funny nor acceptable. Making a (false or otherwise) caricature of the Jamaican/Rastafarian people is pure ridicule.
If that is one's art, ridiculing people, then that is one's art, but one ought not be surprised if a band of protesters appear at one's gallery showing.
«…all they do is left leaning political rants. Being politically correct has literally ruined comedy.»
Make up your mind. Are they doing political rants, or are they being politically correct??? ;-) :-D :-)
(…or maybe you are saying that left-leaning rants are correct politically?) ;-) -) :-D
We can go back to the days when comedians spoke about abusing women, the wisdom of the Irish (or Polish, or [Insert Your Adversaries Nationality Here]), or the lack of education among the [Insert Your Least Loved Minority Group Here].
If that is what you call good comedy, before it was ruined by political correctness, I could not disagree with you more. I think political correctness finally gave comedians the challenge to finally create universally acceptable jokes, instead of building up their crowds by belittling others.
Besides, one can still do political incorrect comedy. Take All in the Family. Archie Bunker was hardly described as a politically correct person, but the show was filled with family humour. George Jefferson from The Jeffersons, (a spinnoff), same issues, different perspective.
When you say "and makes me wanna punch", we laugh. When you convert your speech of "wanna punch" to a punch, we send you to jail. See the difference? Speech is different from action, morally and legally.
I agree 100%. So why am I getting flak for making people laugh??? I spoke in what I thought was, (based on context), clear hyperbole. I even used parentheses and informal vernacular in an otherwise well articulated statement.
So the difference has always been clear to me.
Yet someone's takeaway from the well articulated point is to chide me for a non-existent violent response. He then goes on to say how someone offended people in 1929, so that makes it okay to mock people today. What the what?!?
Salvador Dali was not the first to offend people with their art, (and he was illustrating himself, not other people or cultures, so apples and oranges), and he has certainly not been the last. That does not make it an acceptable thing to do. Regarding Sally Mann, I personally found nothing wrong with her images, (that is, the content, and the ones I have seen, anyway), but it is clear to me that some issues are controversial, (but she also did not bring offence regarding other people and their culture, so, again, apples and oranges), so I do not emulate them at all. (I actually have issues with her style —exposure, lighting, etc., but that is all irrelevant).
Does that stymie my creativity? No! It drives it even more!
So go ahead, artistic world, and express yourself (almost) freely. Just do not think that a mockery of another culture is a good way to express yourself. But portraying Bedouin as terrorists, or Jamaicans as ‘word-mon’, RedStripe-drinking dreadlocks, is not a very good expression of ones self. It is pitiful, and neither Dali nor Mann behaved in that manner.
….
I keep trying to make this a top-level comment, but it keeps putting it as a reply. Sorry.
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Still cannot make this top-level comment! This not intended to be a reply.
…And apparently, I cannot delete, now that it shows as a top level.
Haha same thing happened to me earlier! No worries.
This is funny, this American guilty mood. Yes, you feel guilty for a reason. And what has been done, has been done. No one will change it. But Halloween costumes? Kidding right? By the way - in my culture - we celebrate the Feast of the Deceased by visiting all of them on their graves. It's a serious and sad feast. And well I do not have any problem with Halloween. You know why? Halloween is a culture too. This stupid plastic Hawaii costume is important part of it.(IMHO)
And photography? Learn all the rules and break them!
Good question. Wery good question.
Taking care about how you use items from other cultures isn't about "political correctness" so much as it is about understanding what you are communicating to someone else who views your image. If they understand the culture from which you are borrowing something and you don't, you may be unintentionally be communicating a personal or religious insult (if you are borrowing a religious item), an unintended association (perhaps you have chosen a clothing item typically worn when mourning and you intended the image to be joyful), or simply a message that you the image creator are ignorant since someone who understood the significance of the item would never have used it the way you chose. You can do any of these things if you choose to, it's a free country, but don't be surprised (or insulted yourself) if someone takes the image in a way you didn't intend.
Though the only responsible person for someone to be offended is himself and the person who wears that terrible costumes are the real victims here, a victim of his own ignorance and a poor education, fantastic article!
Is a matter of time. Remember how black native people were portraited in Tarzan movies or native Americans in old westerns to put a couple of examples. That's is unthinkable today.
Wow, all I have to say is that I am done with F-stoppers. I expect the Left-wing statist politicians shoving this shit down our throats, not a photography how-to website. So, so sad how brain-washed this younger generation is now. We can thank the public school system for this new attitude and the long decline of our American culture. Good-bye and good riddens F-Stoppers!
^ Blames public schools for brainwashing the younger generation, and then misspells "riddance" in the next sentence. lol