Who among us would forego the joy and value of documenting moments that mark our journeys through life, whether they are large and formal or a serendipitous moment in time? Who would discount the impact of would-be victims and bystanders who can document troubling situations and bring them to light, casting off doubts of their veracity? Once we ‘take’ or ‘capture’ a photo, it is worth asking who owns that image—and the moment and memories it contains? Both casually and legally, ownership typically goes to the photographer, who intentionally or not chooses what stays in the frame and what gets cropped out.

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