A photographer who documents homeless individuals has sparked controversy by refusing to remove photographs of a deceased woman despite repeated requests from her grieving family members. Donnie Johnston, who captures images of unhoused people in Windsor, Canada, and Detroit, United States, has maintained his position that he will never take down any photograph for any reason.
The dispute centers around photographs Johnston took of Alicia Newman around 2017, before her death at age 37 in 2018. Johnston's social media pages feature numerous unsettling images of people struggling with poverty and addiction, including three portraits he captured of Newman. About a year after Newman's death, her family discovered the photographs online and immediately contacted Johnston with removal requests.
"It's really hard because my sister didn't look like that at all," Newman's twin brother Devin explained to CBC. The images show Newman in what her family describes as a vulnerable state during a difficult period of her life. "It felt really violating, seeing her in a vulnerable state," added Alicia's half-sister Nancy Turner, expressing the family's distress over the public display of their loved one's struggles.
Johnston has reportedly ignored all communication from Newman's family, blocked them on social media platforms, and continued publishing the controversial photographs. Most recently, he posted one of Newman's portraits just a week ago, demonstrating his unwavering stance on the matter. When CBC contacted Johnston for comment on the situation, he declined to provide a detailed response.
Instead, Johnston posted an Instagram Story that read: "I don't claim to be anything but a photographer. I will never take down any photo for any reason ever. End of story." His position appears to be influenced by the controversial street photography philosophy exemplified by photographers like Bruce Gilden, whose "in your face" style has generated both criticism and praise throughout his career. Johnston has recently shared clips and quotes from Gilden that seem to relate directly to the Newman photograph controversy.
The legal landscape surrounding street photography provides little recourse for families in similar situations. Both Canadian and U.S. law permit photographers to take pictures of anyone in public spaces, with restrictions only applying in locations where individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy. This legal framework leaves homeless individuals particularly vulnerable to unwanted documentation of their most difficult moments.
Kristen Thomasen, a law professor at the University of Windsor, believes current legislation hasn't adapted to address the complexities of our digital age, especially regarding homeless populations. "I think there is a huge vulnerability created through this lack of legal protection when the laws can't be nuanced enough to understand that people have different ways of experiencing being out in public," Thomasen explained to CBC.
The case highlights broader questions about photographic ethics and consent in street photography. While Denmark is currently working to strengthen laws protecting a person's likeness, which may impact photography practices, any significant regulation could have far-reaching consequences for the art form and press freedom. The challenge lies in balancing artistic expression and journalistic freedom with individual dignity and family wishes, particularly when vulnerable populations are involved.
The controversy surrounding Johnston's refusal to honor the family's wishes reflects a growing debate about the responsibilities photographers have toward their subjects, especially those captured during moments of personal hardship. As social media platforms make it easier than ever to share and reshare images, the lasting impact of such photographs on families and communities continues to raise important ethical questions about consent, dignity, and the power dynamics inherent in documentary photography.
