You might remember a few weeks ago we discussed how a group of photographers signed a letter asking camera manufacturers to include some kind of encryption into the camera itself so that when images are captured you don’t have to worry about someone reviewing or deleting them if they get a hold of your camera or memory card. Well I reviewed that list of names and saw that panelist Seth Herald was among those who sign the letter. So I reached out to Seth to get his take on this situation and to ask him why he signed this letter. Here’s his response:
I signed the letter for a couple of reasons. One, I feel its an important tool for photographers and journalists some that I know personally that work in some of the hottest conflict areas of our time, with encryption built in the cameras it not only would help protect the individuals that we as photojournalists are documenting but protect sensitive stories that they could currently be working on that could get them detained or even killed.
I lived and worked throughout Israel and the Occupied West Bank in 2014 and though I never was personally detained and asked for the images on my camera it was a very real threat often the individuals I worked with and documented were Palestinian and I cant tell you how many times I was asked ” Who are you working for, you aren’t spying for the Israelis are you?” as it isn’t uncommon for the IDF at check points to stop Photographers after clashes and demand their memory cards/cameras often times returning that night to arrest individuals they found on the photographers confiscated memory card/camera. I would take out the memory card I used during shooting to hide it and would place in a memory card filled with random street images and landscape images just in case I was ever stopped.
I believe I came across this letter by a post from NPPA I emailed Trevor and asked him to add my name to the list being a communit. Its important to support each other even if I have never worked in conflict areas myself or in countries tough on journalism I would of signed it just out of support for those who do.
I’m not sure how the encryption would work, I’ve not looked that deep into it but I trust it would do its job and be as top notch as it can be while not taking away from the quality of the image and would allow for the camera to still function like it should. I hope Nikon and other manufactures that read the letter take it to heart and really try to get encryption in their cameras for the working journalist.
