But this morning at 5:20 a.m., I reached a South Seattle intersection minutes after a fatal crash; the scene was washed in cruiser lights and I had a 35mm raised before a mother stepped into frame. I lowered it and photographed the road — skid arcs, a single sneaker, steam off the asphalt — instead of her face, but I keep asking whether I protected dignity or failed to witness. How do you decide, in those seconds, what truth looks like without turning someone’s worst moment into a picture they’ll never choose?
I’ve been there — rolled up around 4 a.m. on Aurora and kept the 35mm down when a father stepped in; I shot the “skid arcs” and a lone hat, then grabbed the PIO’s name to follow up after NOK was notified. My rule: if family’s in frame pre-notification, shoot context not faces; otherwise back up, go long, and publish only after a second read against Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists — , it’s never perfect. Does that line feel too conservative to you?
When I’m in that spot, I hit the voice‑memo button instead of the shutter and say ‘5:22 a.m., NOK not notified; shooting road only’ — it lets me witness without pointing at grief, then I loop back to the PIO for names like @coyo602 said. If a family member speaks to me, I’ll record their words, not their face.