Tool or a Weapon?

the perspective changes based on who’s holding the camera

The ethics of photography start with a simple question: who flinches when you raise the camera, and why? A responsible photographer learns to read that question before pressing the shutter.

In my early days of photography, my camera was like an extra limb. I carried it everywhere — on my commute, during lunch breaks, at family gatherings. I wasn't just holding it. I was living with it.

The Moment I Learned Not Everyone Sees a Camera the Same Way

One day, I was walking past a subway station when I noticed a streak of light cutting through the chaos, hitting the faces of people exiting. It was perfect. I planted my feet, framed my shot, and raised my camera.

Then the reactions hit. Some ducked. Others covered their faces or hurried out of the frame. This is New York, so a few middle fingers and curses came with it too. That moment taught me something I couldn't unlearn: the camera means different things to different people.

When a Camera Reads as a Weapon

To me, the camera was a tool for storytelling. To some, it was an intrusion. To others, it read as something more threatening.

People moved like I was pointing a weapon at them. And as a Black man, that awareness hit different. If my camera could be mistaken for something dangerous, I had to move accordingly — in public space, around strangers, around police.

The Responsibility Every Photographer Carries

A camera is powerful. It can document, uplift, and preserve history. It can also distort, exploit, and harm. The real question isn't what a camera can do. It's what you choose to do with it.

Will it be used to build or destroy? To protect or exploit? That's the responsibility of every storyteller. It's one I don't take lightly — and it's one Black Shutter Productions builds into how we approach every shoot.

Work with Black Shutter Productions

How do you use your lens? If you're a brand looking for a production partner that thinks this carefully about what it captures and how, reach out to Black Shutter Productions.