Ethics

source for both images: Souvid Datta (top) Mary Ellen Mark (bottom)

Yes these two images have similar features. One of them is the original. The other plagarized.

The story of Souvid Datta and this controversy was originally one that started off with something not related to plagiarism at all. He had first been in hot water for using an image of a child sex trafficking victim to promote a photo contest. The level of absolute callousness you need to have to photograph a child being sexually abused is baffling. I couldn't get through parts of the article. But considering the depth of that situation, the sensitivity of the subject and the obvious fact that I don't even want to bring more attention to something so heinous, I'll bring the attention back to his plagiarism controversy. 

Basically, Datta decided to pluck the woman from Mary's photo and put her in his own. He even named her Asma, to give himself a little more credibility that his subjects were real. There were a few more instances of Datta apparently taking images as his own, without him giving a response about those situations. The story concludes with him blaming other people for the "cloning" of the woman into his photo. His lack of ability to just own up to his mistakes is remarkable. But what else should one expect from a photographer with his taste? 

My goodness where do I start. I know for sure I wouldn't have done the things I read about Datta partaking in. But say I were to approach this situation. regarding the plagiarism, honesty is still the best policy as cheesy as the saying is. And especially when one is caught multiple times and refusing to answer ro why the situation is happening, there's a lack of honesty there. And in a sense, there's a lack of creativity and ambition there too. Datta felt the need to use the woman in the picture to build a story about the "veteran sex worker" in juxtopostion with the younger sex worker in the foreground of the photograph. There was no attempt for him to really capture a great photograph. Instead he chose the quick way around.

I mentioned his huge scandal regarding the child victim because it ties into one the most important values to me: empathy. If people just had a bit more empathy I think this world would run a bit smoother. But because we do lack that as a human race, we have some people out there that I question if they even are human. And there's the people like Datta that are on their way to that gross level of apathy that makes my skin crawl. Him mindlessly using the picture as a thumbnail to link to a contest boggles my mind. I can't even compare or contrast myself to this because I can't take my brain to such a place. If he had an ounce of empathy, he probably would've felt the pain in the child's eyes and thought of the respect she's at least owed in not having such an image thrown around. Empathy before anything else, is a value that isn't inwardly applied. It involves others and the relationship to others.