“Itchy Images”: A Guide for Better Hygiene Practices

A festival-goer looking at the collectively created map of things to consider with ‘itchy images’ (Photo: Joseph Nair)

DATE

Jan 10, 2025

WRITTEN BY

Teo Xiao Ting

Xiao Ting’s practice of tending to generous attention materialises as arts writing, facilitation, and one-to-one therapy sessions. She works in intimate and sometimes invisible spaces to co-create worlds that are more habitable and joyous. They were part of CITRUS fest: Who Cares? as the workshop designer and facilitator of the "Conflict & Communication 101" workshop.

DOCUMENTED BY

Laura Jane Lee

Laura Jane is a Hong Kong-born poet, translator and voiceover artist, currently based between Singapore and Scotland. She serves as Marketing Editor on the poetry.sg team, and her most recent pamphlet "flinch & air" was published with Out-Spoken Press in 2021.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT   
This article is published by CITRUS practices in collaboration with Ethos Books. All four articles and CITRUS fest: Who Cares? have been produced in partnership with the Arts Resource Hub and supported by the National Arts Council.

Who might this be relevant to?

Anyone who runs or attends an event; who takes photos of others; or whose photo might be taken by a stranger or colleague.

What are ‘Itchy Images’?

We all have images that we feel some kind of way about, but doesn’t quite warrant the level of being disturbing or traumatising. Perhaps some kind of annoyance, something that makes us just a tad uncomfortable. For example, an image of a beloved in an intensely private moment that feels slightly too intimate to be documented. In such instances, we might even choose to stay silent or dismiss our concerns, because they are mild irritations and tensions. 

But just as how paper cuts may seem trivial, they can cause significant discomfort if accumulated over time. This sort of images and their surrounding contexts can become rather destructive in both professional and personal relationships if not addressed.

These are precisely what cultural worker Chelsea Chua, and researcher-writer and visual artist Nurul Huda Rashid call “itchy images”. And we might feel this way about how the images were taken, used or circulated, not just about the image itself. Sometimes, it’s also about the context of where the image is shown, such as misleading captions.

Inviting 12 participants to each bring an ‘itchy image’, Chelsea and Nurul led the group in a 2-hour long workshop and discussion titled Care as Action in Image-Making as part of CITRUS fest: Who Cares? on 30 June 2024.

The workshop expands on previous work by Nurul and Chelsea at the Objectifs - Centre for Photography and Film, where they called for proposals from those who were keen to develop work concerning issues of ‘care’ with and within different communities. From there, a workshop co-facilitated with Alecia Neo and Sharmeen Sifar was held in hopes of refining artistic and curatorial approaches and strategies to projects in lens based-mediums.

Sprouting from the workshop, this resource is a first step towards consolidating hygiene practices in relation to artistic and professional practice. The workshop participants had dreamt up reflective questions and points, and they have been written down in hopes that we will be better equipped to navigate ‘itchy images’, through exploring and clarifying the processes before, during, and after the image is made.

For the sake of clarity, this resource will address both the positions of those who create or circulate images (‘image-maker’) and those who are in the photos (‘image-subject’).

Before the Image is Made…

(E.g., before attending an event where you know photos will likely be taken, or when you are organising an event with photo documentation.)

For the image-subject to consider:

What are your personal comfort levels around having your image(s) taken? 

• For example…

• You are okay with your side or back profile being taken, but not a full frontal shot;

• You don’t feel comfortable having your image taken at all, and would prefer to be out of frame no matter what;

• You are completely comfortable having your image taken regardless of angles.

Are there specific uses of your image(s) that you are not comfortable with?

• For example…

• You are comfortable with your image taken for the purpose of an internal archive or for wrap up posts about the event, but not for it to be used for publicity for future events in a programme series or otherwise;

• You are not comfortable with your image being used for commercial or future marketing purposes.

What are some information that you need before giving consent to your image(s) being taken?

• For example…

• Specific details of how the image(s) will be used, where it will be circulated, and for how long;

• Who would have access and rights to the images, and for how long;

• If there is any remuneration for the image(s) taken depending on the context of its usage;

• To remember that you have the right to withdraw consent on how and where your images are used.

*ADDITIONAL TIP
Even though legally in Singapore, anyone is allowed to take photographs of you in a public space, you always have the right to ask for your photo to not be taken at an event.

For the image-maker to consider:

What do you assume is common sense and so need not be communicated?

(Common sense is not always common! Always ask and not assume.)

• For example…

  • How is (explicit) consent sought? Is it just a liner on your publicity material and a poster at the door to say that there will be photography and videography? Are you providing ways for people to opt out of their image(s) being captured, e.g., stickers, lanyards or wristbands? 

  • Do you know your plans for how the images will be used in the future? How transparent and detailed are you about these plans, e.g., is it for documentation, an artistic project, or to be used as future promotional material?;

  • If there is remuneration for usage of the image in commercial settings, and who the rights belong to and to what extent such as duration and sites/spaces of use.

What is the context that everyone should be aware of, and you as an image-maker can be more mindful of? 

• For example…

• Power dynamics and vulnerabilities present in the space;

• Sensitivities and ethics when photographing minors, members of marginalised communities, or intimate situations such as funerals.

*ADDITIONAL TIP
A small but significant action: turn on your shutter sounds and make your presence known. This can help avoid surprises and allow subjects to adjust their behaviour or decline.

During Image Creation…

(E.g., during the event itself where photos are taken.)

For the image-maker to consider:

Ongoing Consent

Check in with the subject(s) periodically, especially if the event (and therefore the photography/videography) is more than a few hours and the conditions under which the image is captured change:

• For example…

• During an event where there are people entering and leaving the space, to ensure that everyone is aware and consenting of their image being taken.

Non-Verbal Cues

Be attentive to body language and other non-verbal signals that might indicate discomfort:

• For example…

• Furrowing of eyebrows or shifting the body away from the camera lenses;

• Using hands to cover or gesture away from the camera.

Alternatives to Image Photography

In some cases, consider if there are alternative ways to document or archive an event

• For example… 

• Using written descriptions or audio recordings

After the Image is Made…

For the image-maker to consider

Image Policies

• Develop and communicate clear image usage policies or guidelines, detailing the context and duration in which the image will be used and how, such that everyone involved understands and have access to the information.

Review and Clarify Contract

• Before using or distributing an image, review the images to check that people who have not given consent are not pictured and that you have consent for the usage of the image(s) in the specific context;

• Err on the side of safety or check back with the subject when there is any uncertainty. 

Credit and Compensation

• Properly credit the photographer or visual artist, and where appropriate, credit the people whose image was captured. E.g., consider if the individual performers can be attributed in photos of performances.

• Have clear terms of compensation when in negotiation with collaborators or vendors, taking into account their work scope (time, resources, equipment), and the terms of use for the images. 

Monitoring and Enforcement

• If possible, establish mechanisms to monitor image usage and address any violations of agreed-upon terms;

• Ensuring the images are stored securely, and not accidentally made available to the public if not previously agreed upon;

• Establish procedures for timely reviewing and removing of images upon request or in cases of policy violations.

What Else Can We Consider?

Legal Frameworks

• Familiarise yourself with relevant laws and regulations regarding image rights and privacy.

Contracts

• Consider using contracts to formalise agreements and protect the rights of all parties involved, so that everyone has a standardised and explicit reference point.

Partnerships

• Explore partnerships with legal organisations or other entities that can provide support and guidance on image-related issues.

Going Forward…

Given how easy it can be to snap and circulate images, it’s crucial to be mindful of what it means when we take photographs, or when our photographs are taken. It’s not pleasant to be surprised by your own image in a context that you did not consent to, even though the parties involved did not have malicious intentions. Photographs can be incredibly intimate and precious in terms of capturing a specific moment or memory. 

When handled appropriately, these images can create connection points that draw people together in a shared experience. It’s precisely because of this that it can be ‘itchy’ and hard to articulate when sufficient thought or care was not given to the process. A particular example is offered in an article featuring a new partnership between the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and the Visual, Audio, Creative Content Professionals Association (Singapore), when the actor Laura Kee shared that misused images can become big problems such as future opportunities.

This resource provides starting points to clarify these processes, so we can all craft our own hygiene practices when it comes to creating and using images. More consideration of the other parties’ interests is needed as we inhabit different roles in spaces, and our comfort levels sometimes depend on the context we inhabit as an audience member or performer. As we gain clarity on our circumstances and needs, we will be able to create context-specific materials like consent forms or guidelines that will help us navigate these situations in a more considerate manner. 

Just as how contexts are constantly evolving, and are incredibly human, there is a need to be conscientious and reflective in navigating these issues. Our willingness and commitment to be open in communication with each other signals a hope that we can begin to concoct balms which will make ‘itchy images’ less prickly.

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