A Photojournalist’s Dilemma

Al Diaz, a Miami-based photojournalist, has always asked himself the question “When to take a picture?” But last week, he wasn’t even on assignment when he witnessed a woman on a Miami highway administering CPR to a five-month old baby who had stopped breathing. In his piece in the Miami Herald, Mr. Diaz thoughtfully writes about stepping back and pausing as he considered whether or not to take a photograph. Here are some conversation starters  to  pause and consider with your family members around this interesting story (which thankfully had a happy ending):

Do you think Mr. Diaz ultimately did the “right” thing  in snapping the photo? Why or why not? Would you have felt differently if the child hadn’t lived?

Has anyone ever taken or shared a photo of you on social media that you weren’t happy about? Did you say anything to them? What happened? Has anyone ever been upset with you about a photo you took or shared?

Have you ever been inspired by a photo to learn or try something new? What was it?

Mr. Diaz writes in his article, “When to press the button and when not to press the button isn’t always clear.” Think of this quote in terms of your own experiences. When have you felt torn about doing something because the right vs. wrong answer wasn’t completely clear?

Napoleon Bonaparte once said “A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words.” In this century, a picture is also worth thousands and thousands of views. How do you feel about that? Do you long for more privacy, or do you think photos should be shared and available to all?