Blogging With Photographs

Blogging is such a widespread, almost viral practice these days, and sometimes I am surprised if not shocked by content!

Here's a question for my Muslim sistahs......

Do you feel it is OK to post photographs of other people you don't know, (strangers, celebrities, models etc..) to demonstrate something that we Muslimahs should or more likely shouldn't be doing?

For those of you who may be wondering about my views, I am not totally against photography, I actually love the craft, but generally stick to the landscape kind. Photographs of my family are not displayed in my home, nor do I publish their faces on this blog, after much deliberation. I do on occasion, email photographs to those near and dear, to update them on iBaby.

Please leave a comment, I would love to know what you all have to contribute to this discussion!

Salams,

iMuslimah

8 Birds Chirpin':



بنت بيتر said...

I wrote about this previously here:
http://thelightwithin.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/images-and-pictures/

Personally I dont use photographs of people or any beings with a soul... if it is needed for education purposes I use video preferably, as there is less debate around video.. or I remove the facial elements. This is what I have learned to do anyway :D

iMuslimah said...

Assalamu alaykum!

I pretty much agree with you. Beyond the Islamic reasons for not having facial elements present in a photo or choosing not to photograph things with souls, I often encounter things in blogs that seem, well- wrong (imho).

For example, does anyone think it is OK for a hijab-practicing muslimah to post images of non-hijabi women? If we are not supposed to reveal ourselves, why do some feel it is ok to reveal others, even in the name of education? I just feel it is better to post an image or likeness of what we should be wearing rather than what we should not.

Just a thought.

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Arfy Majeed said...

Asalaam alaykum sis,
Were you at the cineform conference earlier this year?
I remember meeting a sis with the iMuslim business card.

You had a job interview coming up right, how did it go?

WS
Arfy

iMuslimah said...

Wa alaykum salaam,

Nope- that wasn't me. What is the cineform conference???

Yasemin said...

Recently this conversation came u with Ange on Hegab Rehab and I believe Desert Veil. In that instance, there was a photo of an Amish girls leg. I thought it ok only because she was Amish...

I think it's not the thing to do especially if the images are girls you don't know who you've googled photos of. If they are friends and the friends are aware, it's okay. Good post dear. Love you lots.

Anonymous said...

Nice blog, I hope you maintain it. I see you've disappeared for a while :/

How I thought I would see a very tough debate on this matter! I'm impressed most of the comments are with what you call for.

I'm also quite sensitive to what pictures I put on my blog. Not from an Islamic point of view only because there so much debate in the photography domain anyway. But rather in an ethical, moral, prinical domain. I think if you have a consent from the person you're photographing to be published in a blog, or you know that person does not mind having their pics on your blog one bit. Or if faces are not revealed. Or the pictures are not offesnive to anyone. Then I think it's ok.

I generally stick to:
1. Scenery
2. Portraits of family (Ones I know for sure would not mind)
3. Faces unrevealed
4. Lots of objects

On a different note, I heard Bahrain has a law that prohibits taking photographs of anyone without a consent. Photographers protested, say it kills the spontanousity of photography.

Safiyyah said...

As Salaamu Alaikum Dear:

I blog with photography. I am also a photographer. Photography is controversial among some scholars, yet others view it as okay. Allahu Alim.

Photography, video, television, computer, etc. - they all merely capture an image. They don't create them.

Even the Salafi scholars in KSA are using DVDs now.

Nikki said...

I would love to post photos of my son on my blog but when I think of the lack of security on the internet I do not want to put him in a situation where anyone could get his photo.

I do put many pictures of him up in my house, though. I am not celebrating the photographers talent, but the beauty of my son which was created by God! I like being able to see his smile even when I'm away from him.