STATEMENT OF PHOTOGRAFY ETHICS

Ethics is the basis of everything I do, it is my way of being and inhabiting the world. With my photography I aim to create a change in society in favor of respect for nature and the well-being of every person.

I believe that in contemporary society there is a need for photographers to reflect on their behavior and acquire greater awareness of photography ethics, also thanks to the work of the Photography Ethics Center dedicated to the promotion of ethical literacy in the photography sector.

This statement of photography ethics represents my support in promoting ethical practices in photography and my commitment to follow and implement the following values in which I believe and on which my choices are based:

• Dignity
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Integrity
• Transparency
• Sustainability

This statement of ethics is inspired by the principles expressed in particular by:

• the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations
• the Stockholm Declaration on safeguarding the natural ecological system for the benefit of present and future generations
• the International Conventions on the Conservation of Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) and on Biological Diversity (Rio de Janeiro Convention)
• the Earth Charter on the fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society
• the Paris Agreement on climate change
• the Quebec Declaration on ecotourism
• the principles of Leave No Trace and Nature First
• the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The objective of this statement of ethics concerns the commitment to:

• respect and implement the values and principles expressed herein, in which I believe
• respect and honor the natural environments I visit and photograph, the people I photograph, those who use my services and those with whom I collaborate
• raise people's awareness of environmental, social and ethical issues by showing that we are all interconnected in a social and environmental unity for whose balance each of us is responsible
• implement the conservation and protection of nature, follow and disseminate the principles of Leave No Trace:

1. plan ahead and be prepared
2. travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. dispose of waste properly
4. leave what you find
5. minimize campfires impact
6. respect the wildlife
7. be considerate of others

• implement the principles of Nature First, educate and guide other photographers in sustainable practices to help preserve natural environments by photographing responsibly based on these principles:

1. prioritize the well-being of nature over photography
2. educate yourself about the places you photograph
3. reflect on the possible impact of your actions
4. use discretion if sharing locations
5. know and follow rules and regulations
6. always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them
7. actively promote and educate others about these principles

• promote environmental education and image education through hiking and photography in an increasingly sustainable way for natural ecosystems
• promote conscious and sustainable tourism in respect of the natural environment, wildlife and local populations
• promote physical and mental well-being through hiking and creative photography in a natural environment
• build interpersonal relationships based on respect, equality, fairness and collaboration
• implement ethical and responsible marketing
• implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular:

Recognizing the dignity of nature is recognizing the rights that nature has as bearer of intrinsic value in its biotic and abiotic components which are the foundation and support of life, and on which we all depend.
I undertake to:

• photograph landscapes, wild fauna and flora showing their dignity, their most authentic face because even the smallest detail of nature has an infinite value
• spread a new conception of nature that goes beyond both the anthropocentric and self-centered perspective, still dominant in Western society, and the purely aesthetic vision, showing instead the profound interconnection that binds each being to all of nature, aware that recognizing the dignity of nature leads to respect for human dignity

I undertake to:

• respect, protect and preserve all the components of nature, both biotic and abiotic, of the places I visit, aware that my behaviors have major consequences on ecological balance. For this reason, before each trekking, I try to gather information about the place I want to visit in order to get to know the territory, the wild fauna and flora, the geology, the history and the relationship with the life of the inhabitants. At the same time, however, I try to approach exploration and discovery with an open mind in order to welcome everything that I will encounter on my path, to photograph nature when I feel most intimate with it and to transmit the same connection to those who will see the photo
• implement and make known the Leave No Trace principles
• put the well-being of nature first rather than photography, cause the least possible disturbance with my presence, promote respect, enhancement and protection of nature through my work and educate others (photographers and hikers) to the same principles by creating a virtuous chain of respectful behaviour
• comply with the laws and regulations that apply in the places I visit to minimize my environmental footprint and protect the environment, and to intervene if I see someone who does not follow the recommendations, kindly explaining how to behave correctly in that place

I believe that the protection and conservation of nature is a duty of every person.

I undertake to:

• responsibly use the great power that photography has in contemporary society, when I take, choose and publish the images, always keeping in mind the possible consequences that my photos may have, both on natural environments, fauna and flora wild nature of the places I visit, both on the public who see the photos
• make the public think and educate and lead them to positive action with an impact on nature conservation
• do not sell or permit the use of my images for any publication or to any organization that promotes any form of hunting or killing of wild animals for sport, or that profits from environmental destruction
• do not geotag the photos I post, thus preserving nature from an excessive human presence
• give my contribution to show that a responsible approach to images is possible, and to set an example for a conscious practice of photography
• study constantly to further my education and broaden my personal and professional knowledge, to ensure an ever higher standard in my work and to encourage others to do the same

For me, integrity is living in harmony with nature and I try to bring this unity in the way I photograph and process the images before, during and after shooting.

For me it is important that my images maintain their authenticity, even in an artistic and creative phase such as post-production.

I undertake to:

• do not manipulate the content of the photos and I also do not manipulate the circumstances in which the photo was taken because I believe it is neither ethical nor honest
• do not indulge in any stereotypes about how nature should look and I always try to maintain a personal and independent gaze
• make in post-production only small adjustments in the development and editing of the images, which do not alter their meaning and reality, but are just my research to enhance what I saw when I took the photo
• not to add, remove or modify the characteristics of the originally photographed landscape, to honestly declare in the captions the possible use of Artificial Intelligence tools

I undertake to:

• give complete and truthful information on photographic trekking, covering all the itineraries that I propose and only publishing photos taken personally
• find the right compromise between making the place and route of my photographic treks known on the website and avoiding an excessive number of people in the same place to the detriment of nature. In fact, on the one hand it is necessary for me to guarantee transparency, to give everyone the opportunity to assess their physical condition in relation to the hiking difficulties present and to inform trusted people of the place where they will go in case of emergency, on the other hand, it is also important to safeguard the natural environment and limit the damage and risks that the influx of many people in the same place can cause to the territory and biodiversity

As an eco-conscious photographer I try to adopt an environmentally responsible lifestyle, I favor sustainable practices and I am committed to increasingly reducing my environmental impact, especially with the actions indicated in my Sustainability

I undertake to:

• implement the principle of "leaving no one behind" in both photographic and hiking practice, so that each participant in my photographic treks feels listened to and valued in their uniqueness, guaranteeing each one personalized attention, the creative freedom to express themselves himself through the visual language, and the sharing of experiences and individual skills
• photograph people with honesty, respect and kindness, highlighting their dignity in my photographs and taking care to inform myself about the places, the culture, the traditions of the contexts in which I work, the themes I want to deal with and the way in which that my behavior can be considered by the local people. At the same time I try to approach people with an open mind and no expectations
• apply role-reversal to treat and portray others as I would like to be treated and photographed. Photography is a way to give voice to people and their story
• operate without prejudice or favoritism, with respect to the gender identity, ethnicity, age, religion, physical ability, educational, photographic and hiking background of the people I come into contact with in my work, to create and maintain positive and constructive human relationships based on acceptance and mutual respect ensuring optimal behavior in all social interactions

I undertake to:

• respect the privacy, personality, diversity, opinions, needs of all those who contact me for my works and services, and the level of photographic and hiking preparation of the participants in Delphicaphoto photo trekking
• promote dialogue and listening, and to encourage mutual cooperation that values each other's talents
• establish collaborative relationships based on respect, kindness, honesty, listening and peaceful and constructive discussion that enriches the spirit of all the people involved
• support the human rights of the people I photograph, by working transparently and honestly, and by having interactions based on respect with others
• respect their emotions and beliefs, to always ask their consent to be photographed, to respect the privacy of their data, to show them in their truth and beauty by creating opportunities for dialogue and sharing to make them feel at ease in my presence and listen to their point of view, to make them aware of what I am doing, of the aims of my work that involves them and of how and where the photos will be used (online, exhibitions, competitions, prints, etc.) stored in my digital and paper archives and on third-party platforms)
• respect people's autonomy, i.e. their right to make decisions for themselves, including choosing not to be photographed, and to revoke their consent by giving them reliable information on how to contact me

I undertake to:

• responsibly use the great power that photography has in contemporary society, taking, choosing and publishing images always keeping in mind the possible consequences that my photos may have, both on the natural environments, the fauna and the wild flora of the places I visit, both on the people I portray and on the public who see the photos
• give my contribution to show that a responsible approach to images is possible, and to set an example for a conscious practice of photography
• set fair rates based on the value I know I can bring, to allow as many people as possible to enjoy my services

I strongly believe in the relationship of trust that is established in the photographer-subject-public triangle and I feel very much the responsibility of my role towards others.

I undertake to:

• do not manipulate the content of the photos and I also do not manipulate the circumstances in which the photo was taken because I believe it is neither ethical nor honest
• do not align myself with imposed stereotypes, always maintaining a personal and authentic look
• make in post-production only small adjustments in the development and editing of the images, which do not alter their meaning and reality
• do not use Generative Artificial Intelligence tools for my reports

I undertake to:

• apply privacy laws, to use updated antivirus on my devices, to choose safe platforms to guarantee maximum protection of the personal data collected
• keep the regulation of photographic trekking and the registration procedures updated, to guarantee an efficient performance of my services
• be absolutely unbiased in my recommendations because I have never benefited from any type of kickback, referral fee, affiliate discount or partnership program for any product or service I may possibly recommend
• implement ethical marketing

I try to stay up to date and to deepen the various issues related to photography ethics through certified courses and webinars.

I propose here a selection and I undertake to follow others.

I undertake to seriously respect the principles expressed in this declaration, to continue to mature in the awareness of an ethical approach in photography.

If I make mistakes, I take responsibility for them and I am committed to learning from them, because in this way I can evolve my practice.

Knowing that ethics is an evolving learning process, that it is subjective, fluid and contextual, I seek to constantly educate and update myself and therefore this ethics statement may vary over time as my experiences and growth.

Also, my ideas of ethics may be different from those of others and both are to be respected. I will periodically review this statement of ethics to match the values I believe in at the time.

Last updated: July 2024