I long for the days of traveling through Rwanda where the sight of my camera didn’t immediately insight negative reactions from the people around me. With the exception of that one incident at the market where everyone seemed to be looking for payment for pictures (see my previous Rwanda blog post), almost everyone I encountered was more than happy to be photographed. Senegal is not the same. Perhaps it’s because it’s more developed so more people have been exposed to foreigners- though I’m not sure that really explains it. It was explained to our group upon arrival in Senegal (and before) that we should always ask permission to take people’s photos. In general, this is good practice, of course, but at the time I hadn’t realized how serious this request would be. From what we were told, Senegalese in general are skeptical of having their photos taken because of previous exploitation.
As a popular destination for foreigners, photographers have made their way into Senegal and snapped pictures of locals which they then used on promotional materials, postcards, and for other financial gains. The Senegalese in the photos never saw any compensation for their participation in these promotional campaigns to sell their country as a tourist destination. For that reason, they don’t like their photos to be taken unless you have established some sort of friendship or rapport. I don’t actually know if this is the reason Senegalese shy away from the camera- it could just be a rumor. Our Senegalese guide told us this is the reason, so I believe her. Whatever the reason, it happened long enough ago that it’s become part of the culture.
When I review my pictures of city streets or horses by the side of the road, I see in the background there are people covering their faces- those who saw me taking the photo and took precautions not to appear in my visual records. In one village, one of my travelmates wanted to take a picture of a man who was standing and watching our group. He was tall and beautiful, wrapped up in colorful fabric and texting on his mobile phone. She asked if she could take his picture and he immediately said “no!” Then, he thought about it for a minute, and he asked “Why?” Unfortunately, where this might have been an opportune time to find out exactly why he didn’t want his picture taken, neither of us spoke French, and his English seemed limited to “No” and “Why.” Just an example though of the skepticism people have toward unsolicited photography. For that reason, I didn’t photograph much of anything in Senegal. With crowded streets full of people at all times of the day, it’s a bit challenging to take pictures while avoiding faces. I can’t complain though- my own aversion to being photographed allows me to understand not wanting to be on camera- maybe even to the extreme. My camera battery only had to be charged once in the two weeks I was gone, and my memory card barely felt the pressure of holding precious digital memories. Thank goodness for group collective photography sites…I’ll reap the benefits of the novice photographers on my trip that photographed everything- permission granted or not!