The Ethical Storyteller: Interview with Jessi Wight
Today we are chatting with Jessi Wight, DFP Education Instructor and author of the course “The Ethical Storyteller”, available in the Learning Library starting April 2021.
The Ethical Storyteller is a course for creatives with a conscience (and even those without, no judgment!) Whether through personal projects, assignments, or paid clientele we may find ourselves given the opportunity to work with subjects whose lives look very different than our own. In this course, we will talk about ethical dilemmas, power dynamics, ethnocentric reactions, and compassion fatigue. Using her experience as a professional social worker Jessi will address considerations when working with vulnerable and/or marginalized populations, the unique challenges of doing this work through the lens of photography, and the vital step of self-care when doing emotional labor.
Tell us a bit about your background?
I’ve always been an advocate. As a kid, I fostered sick and injured animals, researched environmentally sustainable practices, and worked with school administration on behalf of fellow students with disabilities who were being bullied. In high school, I rallied funds for extracurriculars for the rural youth in my community who lacked opportunities available in more urban areas. In college, I was torn on what major to commit to. I joked to my aunt that “helping people” should be a major and she told me about social work. Eventually, I went on to earn my master’s degree in social work at the University of Houston.
Before I paused my social work career I spent some time as an independent living organ donor advocate, I worked as a crisis case worker in an inner-city high school, and I worked for a maternal health non-profit in program development and providing in-home case management services to teens experiencing drug-affected pregnancies.
While I feel like advocacy is my calling, photography is my passion. Combining the two is the journey I’m on!
What made you interested in sharing this topic with documentary family photographers?
I had a personal photo project that had been brewing in my mind for years but it had significant ethical barriers that I hadn’t been able to rectify. As a social worker, but also on a personal level, I hold myself to the standard of “do no harm.” What if making these individuals’ stories public did harm? What if the lack of anonymity impacted their life down the road? These were a few of my concerns. In an effort to determine how others execute sensitive projects in an ethical way, I realized that many people are curious and concerned with the same thing. There are some great resources available on this topic, but they are written for varied audiences that sometimes weren’t directly applicable to my situation. I thought it would be great if there were a course that made this information easily accessible and with the DFP community in mind.
Who do you think would benefit from the information in The Ethical Storyteller?
The short answer is everyone!
The long answer; Ethics is a human issue that I think most everyone would benefit from thinking more about on a day-to-day basis. When you are in a position of influence and power to control the narrative of a story (through photography, writing, filmmaking, personal means, etc.) good ethics become vital. I wrote this course specifically with documentary family photographers in mind, but the information is general enough that I hope anyone would take a lot from it.
Do you think photographing traumatic stories and/or sharing through photography is important? Why or why not?
I believe it is important to photograph stories. Sometimes those stories are happy, sometimes they are sad, I think a vast majority of them are too complex to be labeled as just one thing. In one story you might see trauma, grief, mental health conditions, resilience, peace, and joy. I think it’s important to show ALL of the things as we are telling stories. As humans, we are social creatures. Stories, told in an ethical way, help us understand and empathize with each other which brings us closer together. I believe photographing trauma without collaborating with the subject, without taking their safety and dignity into account, and sharing it for personal gain is not constructive or ethical and does not help us relate and empathize with each other.
Which photographers have inspired you with how they have handled difficult stories with empathy and/or ethical care?
I am continuously inspired as I encounter more and more people’s work who photograph from an ethical framework. It’s a movement that seems to be gaining momentum and I am so excited about the work that it’s producing. A few specific photographers off the top of my head; Gabriele Casini. I recently watched a webinar that he was featured on and his approach to photographing humanitarian crisis is really incredible. Amy Vitale of course. Also, there is this anonymous photographer who goes by Suitcase Joe who photographs people living on Skid Row. I think the things that all of these photographers do well is they don’t just drop in for the shoot and peace out. They live it. They develop deep relationships with the people and communities they photograph. They are very intentional about the photos they take, what they share, and that the storytelling is a collaborative process. That being said, I don’t think anybody is a perfect example of an ethical storyteller. What I think is most important is the desire to continuously do better.
If you could give one piece of advice to photographers starting to pursue emotionally difficult documentary stories, what would it be?
Be introspective and brutally honest. Ask all kinds of questions; Why am I drawn to this topic? What preconceptions am I starting out with? What is my motivation for pursuing this project? Write down your thoughts. This is a great place to start, then perhaps you could even take a course on the topic or something! ;)
About Jessi Wight
Jessi is a sweet and spacy documentary photographer currently soaking up the mountain vibes in the foothills of the Wasatch Front in Salt Lake City, Utah. After her older son was born she left a career in social work to be a professional bum wiper, owie kisser, and peanut butter sandwich maker.
People’s complex relationships with their environment, the people around them, and the broader system they operate within is a driving factor in Jessi’s personal and professional passions. Having long been interested in the way that visual media can move individuals to empathize and relate, she is eager to explore how documentary photography can be used as a means of visual advocacy.
When she isn’t tending to her two little boys, her haphazard garden, or taking on impulsive home improvement projects you will most likely find her hiking, traveling, or chasing birds and children; always with a camera in hand.
Be sure to check out Jessi’s course “The Ethical Storyteller”, available in the DFP Learning Library starting in April 2021.
And check out more of her work:
Note from Ash: Jessi so graciously donated her teaching fee to the DFP Scholarship Fund. When we chatted about what this course would be about and payment, she said she felt the information taught in the Ethical Storyteller is a must for all photographers, and that she would like her payment for the course to go towards helping marginalized photographers. Thank you Jessi, for your generous contribution, not only financially but also for sharing your wisdom on such an important topic. It is a true testament to your advocacy.