Daniel Etter: On truth and fiction
In this episode, we talk with Daniel Etter about truth and fiction. He discusses the differences between observation in photojournalism as opposed to the element of creation present in filmmaking. He discusses the rise of AI image-making and the associated risks. Finally, he describes how problems within photography are often representative of systemic problems requiring societal change on a wider level.
What does photography ethics mean to Daniel?
“Just being respectful and meeting people at eye level and being open to their experience and being open to their grief, and seeing what causes less or more harm to them. So, it’s just like respecting people. It’s like … do you want to show a dead boy and the grieving father, or not? And in some cases, if it was like somebody who’s killed in the road in an accident here, you’d probably say no because it doesn’t make any sense. But maybe the father is like ‘yeah show that because I want people to see.’ … We have to understand people and see if it’s justifiable to show certain things or not show certain things. And I think it comes down to respecting everybody equally.” (33:09)
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Daniel Etter is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, feature writer and filmmaker currently based in Berlin, Germany. He is a graduate of the German School of Journalism, holds a master’s degree in political science, a university diploma in journalism and received the Kathryn Davis Fellowship for Peace.
His photography has appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, Newsweek, and in publications of the International Committee of the Red Cross and Human Rights Watch, among many others.
In 2016, he was awarded with the Pulitzer Prize and the John Faber Award of the Overseas Press Club of America. He received third place in the World Press Photo Award and various awards at Pictures of The Year International. His photo from the Gezi Park Protests in Istanbul was chosen as one of the best photos of 2013 by TIME Magazine and The New York Times.
He has also won awards for his writing, and he is an ambitious gardener.
You can see his work at https://www.danieletter.com