“The camera is a kind of license.” — Diane Arbus

There are circumstances in which curiosity can only take you so far. A policeman will prevent you from slipping beneath the yellow tape at a crime scene; an administrator will question your presence on campus; a press officer may deny you access to a politician. But when you have a camera slung around your neck, and perhaps a face that is familiar after time spent on the staff of a local newspaper, the authorities make allowances. It’s a privileged position. But if you’re an effective witness, you know you’re not just serving yourself, but a community as well.