We all use photos to tell stories. Whether we use smartphones, drones, Canon cameras, or Rollefilexes, our intent is to capture what (or who) is in front of us–or with us–in a specific moment and revisit it later. Travel photography can be seen as “putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge — and, therefore, like power” (Sontag, On Photography). Uncle Ben is right: “with great power comes great responsibility”, but Dr. Salena Parker argues that we are not fully heeding his message in today’s rapidly changing world. Time and again we decide which images are worth editing, keeping, and sharing–and in turn we make choices without pausing to consider the stories we might entangle or erase during our creative process. Consent, privacy, and integrity should be integral points of our photo-taking process, not quick afterthoughts, regardless if we are traveling close to home or abroad. In a time where any post, story, or photo can be reimagined at the touch of a button, access and accountability should be trending and not forgotten. The average American “takes about 20 photos every day”, which means there are plenty of opportunities to practice mindful picture-taking. Parker addresses how we can be more mindful when picture-taking during travel. By acknowledging the complexity of the power that comes from behind the lens, we can better appreciate the stories and people we photograph when we travel. Salena Parker teaches courses in Introduction to Writing, Composition I and II and World Literature. In the past decade, she has taught English in Ghana, Russia and Japan. Her current research interests include travel writing, photography, women’s life writing, transmedia storytelling, feminist geography and multimodal pedagogy. Parker’s articles have appeared in scholarly journals such as CCTE Studies, University of Glasgow Arts & Sciences Journal, National Geographic Travel, and TEJASCOVIDO. She is currently working on a book chapter interrogating Aloha Wanderwell as a Jazz Age flâneuse for Women Wandering Purposefully: The Flâneuse in Literature and Popular Culture. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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