Ethics and Nude Child Photography Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics and Nude Child Photography - Assignment Example However, the principal argument, in this case, is that modern art, such as nude child images, is supposed to evoke strong emotions, including discomfort so that it can realize its objective of showcasing the admirable innocence of childhood prior to mental and moral corruption. I, therefore, believe that Mann and Demaree did not act unethically by taking and exhibiting nude photographs of their children. Sally Mann published and exhibited a series of photographs aptly named â€Å"Immediate Family† in the early 1990s. The series sparked controversy and even brought about accusations that Mann was exploitative. This debate stemmed from the fact that the images featured Mann’s three kids, mostly naked, frolicking in streams and in the yard in their Virginia home (Woodward, 1992). More than a decade and a half later, an American family found itself in the middle of a similar debate. This was in the year 2008 when Lisa and Anthony Demaree traveled to San Diego with their three daughters. In the course of their vacation, they took innocuous nude photos of the daughters during bath time and as they lay beside each other holding hands. After going home, they took the photos to a Wal-Mart store for developing. Employees at the store reported the couple to the Police, citing child pornography and after failing to inform them about Wal-Mart’s policy on unsuitable content. The situation escalated as the coupled lost custody of their kids for a year and accrued significant legal fees (Ellin, 2013). The image series in both cases created and continue to fuel debate regarding the morality of the art, and its distinction from child pornography. In both the Demarees’ and Mann cases, the photographers intended to take innocent images of their children as they did ordinary activities.