Is film photography forbidden by certain religions?

[Robert Lai]

Quote:

I'd prefer to see religion forbidden. Seems like the cause of most trouble in this world.

Athiesm is a belief system also. How will you enforce it? Universal Communist revolution? That's been tried with disastrous results and millions of deaths in the last century:

Russia - Lenin, then Stalin
China - Mao
Cambodia - Pol Pot and his killing fields...
the list is almost endless.

 

[PKR]

I obviously cannot speak for specific beliefs held by specific members of the Hopi people but in general, restrictions on photography, video, etc... are more likely due to concerns about privacy, intellectual property, respect for ceremonies and things of that nature rather than fear of having their souls stolen.

https://beyondthemesas.com/2009/12/16/photographs-villages-and-hopi-protocols/

Also if there is an institutional belief among the Hopi that photos will steal souls, then Hopi photographers would not be taking photos of other Hopis.

https://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Seve...y-of-the-Hopi-People-by-Hopis-Themselves-2217

If you read my post you must have noted that my fixer/guide was Hopi and a newspaper staff photographer. The capturing of a soul belief was related to me by the people who I was working for. Owen, the Hopi photographer also said that many elders held this belief. The Hopi Tribe in Tuba City is divided. The modern members are in the upper portion of the settlement. They have electricity, propane gas and electrically pumped well water, and own and drive cars and trucks. The traditional members live in the lower area. They are without any modern convinces by choice. It's these people who hold the belief. I'm not an anthropologist. I conducted myself in such a way as to be welcome. When entering the traditional areas with cameras, the cameras were never to my eye until all those in view entered their homes. Every time I went into that village, they all left the common areas and entered their homes, staying inside until I was finished photographing.

 

[Bill Clark]

No comment.

Religion can be a very emotional issue.

It usually becomes hard to discuss.

 

[HHPhoto]

Before starting to use film again, I wrestled with the issue of gelatin in film, but decided to go ahead. This article on the Adox web site, and other research, helped me reconcile it for myself.

John

And you have taken the right decision, John.
Because really no animal is hurt or killed because of gelatin. For gelatin materials are used which otherwise would have been thrown away. It is a very good recycle and waste avoiding strategy to make gelation from it. Very ecologically friendly.

And by the way: One of the greatest suppliers of raw material for gelatin production is India:
They collect the bones from their holy cows which have been died a natural death, and ship it to the gelatin manufacturers. For example in the 70ies and 80ies all raw material for gelatin for the huge ORWO film plant in East Germany (one of the biggest film plants in the world at that time with about 15,000 workers) originated from India.

Cheers, Jan