10 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Taking Pictures At A Distress Scene

It's so sad that people now prefer to take pictures of a burning house with their phones instead of using it to call fire fighters for help.

When you find your self at a distress scene and you feel the urge to pull out your phone to capture the occurrence, first ask yourself these questions:


1. Won't it be good if I rendered some help to salvage the situation rather than take pictures?

2. What will I gain in taking pictures of another person's predicament? Social media likes and comments?

3. What if I was the one in need of help, will I be glad seeing people taking pictures rather than helping me?

4. Am I taking the pictures so I can hand them over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation or what?

5. What if my pictures capture faces of passerbys who might not want to be seen in the media?

6. Hope my pictures won't create a misrepresentation of what really happened.

7. Hope my pictures won't stir up some conflict when released.

8. Must I capture the occurrence with my phone?

9. Can I defend the pictures in a court of law?

10. What if the disaster is yet to abate and I get caught up in it while trying to take pictures?

Most of the pictures taken at such scene are usually misrepresented when they end up with the wrong recipient. In the #RiversRerun elections, @APCnigeria posted a picture on twitter stating that a Rivers State commissioner was arrested by Armed Forces for moving with thugs in military uniform. Few minutes later, that same picture was posted by @PDPNigeria who claimed the commissioner was harassed by Armed Forces working for @APCNigeria who prevented him from going to his polling unit to vote. We can't know whose story to believe unless we come across the person that took the picture, who was obviously a witness at the scene.

Written by Adewole Segun