Transparency. Consent. Respect.

At The People Archives, we use photography to support communities — but we never do so at the expense of the people we work with. This platform was built on care, dignity, and trust, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Registered Business

The People Archives is a registered business in Australia (registration number pending). Operating transparently as a social enterprise, we’re committed to ethical practice in everything we do — from capturing images to distributing funds.

Informed Consent

All individuals featured on this platform have given full, informed, and written consent. We ensure every person understands where and how their image may appear, including for print sales, exhibitions, online use, or NGO fundraising. Consent is always provided in a language the individual understands, and participation is voluntary.

If a subject or NGO asks for an image to be removed, we honour that request without question.

Fair Revenue Sharing

Every print sold helps fund the communities featured. A percentage of each sale goes directly to the individual or their partner NGO. The remainder supports production costs and helps fund future projects.

To keep this fully transparent, we’ve published a live spreadsheet on the website that shows exactly where the money goes. Anyone can view it. We believe the best way to build trust is to make the money trail clear.

Ethical Representation

We don’t exploit hardship. We don’t stage suffering. We create portraits with care and aim to present every person with dignity and respect. These aren’t just images — they are people, and their stories are their own.

This platform exists to ensure they benefit from their visibility, not become passive subjects.

NGO Partnerships

We work in direct partnership with grassroots NGOs who know their communities best. They help identify individuals who are open to participating and ensure that support continues after the work is complete.

In many cases, NGOs also receive a share of the profits, along with free use of the imagery for their own fundraising and advocacy work.

Safeguarding Vulnerable People

When working with children or vulnerable individuals, we follow strict child protection and safeguarding policies. Parental or guardian consent is always obtained, and no imagery is published without proper authorisation. NGOs act as a second layer of oversight.