My series from "A Protest For All" - a study, a series.

[Timmyjoe]

Hi Tim - thanks for sharing, although I'm not sure how this helps me as a critique.

Maybe it is your choice of post processing technique, or maybe the protests you are covering just aren't as colorful as what we have here in the States (though I doubt that as I have spent time in Paris and find it very colorful).

Not sure why you are going with the drab coloring on the series, unless maybe you find the whole thing depressing.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I think you're confusing the pro rallies with the anti rallies (since the photos you posted are for, not against, as is the case here). This is not from a pro rally (which would show all the cheerfully energetic, vivacious color you posted), and these are the colors of the anti rally...and the days were pretty cloudy and rainy, not bright and sunny (like in your shots). I think me "oversaturating" the colors rather than toning them (which actually make the scenes less dull) would not be in order.

Hard to show vibrant, rainbow colors and sun (or at least, much thinner cloud cover) to an event that had neither.

I think you didn't see the post above where I address the colors.

However, thank you for your comment about it being "depressing". I think then I have been successful in not filtering the emotion of the rally in general, that being of angst, despair, an odd mix of dedication and resignation, and restraint --the last rally event (this is a collection of two different dates) was far less "vocal" and more, shall we say, passive-aggressive. Honestly, I think you had to look for cheery, colorful, happy and cherry-pick that out of the whole movement...and that, I think, would show a bias.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

A few more...


Proud.


One of many mayors (here wearing the sash) supporting being against the new law. In France, only mayors and their delegates have the "vested power" to perform weddings. As a secular government, it's worth noting that all government officials are expected (some would say required) to separate their religious beliefs from their public duties.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Sort of Like a funeral in feel. The color images, at least; the B&W is generic 'demonstration' for some reason. I am not French and do not speak French, so I will miss many/most cultural and language cues. Like the generic Mommy/Daddy/two kids flag- means little to me, but I imagine that if I followed this issue in France I would know it and know where I stood on the issues it stands for.

Well, funeral is how the photos feel to me. At first I was missing more details, faces, drama, etc. But funerals are not about the people attending, they are about who (what) is being buried. Good riddance to homophobia and denying rights to certain groups, but I can still respect the sense of loss and destruction such a change means for many, and I can respect that their mourning is not necessarily based on hate of others.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Sort of Like a funeral in feel. The color images, at least; the B&W is generic 'demonstration' for some reason. I am not French and do not speak French, so I will miss many/most cultural and language cues. Like the generic Mommy/Daddy/two kids flag- means little to me, but I imagine that if I followed this issue in France I would know it and know where I stood on the issues it stands for.

Well, funeral is how the photos feel to me. At first I was missing more details, faces, drama, etc. But funerals are not about the people attending, they are about who (what) is being buried. Good riddance to homophobia and denying rights to certain groups, but I can still respect the sense of loss and destruction such a change means for many, and I can respect that their mourning is not necessarily based on hate of others.

To me this touches on another difficulty I'm having: how to bring about the background of these events and translate the immediacy of certain things without putting a voice on them.

Most "photojournalism" is accompanied by a written story (or viceversa). There's usually a storyline that accompanies it, and usually the news themselves take care of it. This, being a French event, will need some more verbosity for an anglo audience. A lot of that work is already taken care of for you by the media the more the event and the background is broadcast.

One of my goals here is to be visual without me getting in the way --in the sense of not opining on their opinion, but seeing the body language and general emotion of the crowd. I had originally posted these photos without captions, but it is being more evident to me that despite how much background it's given, people won't read, and need a little caption under the photos. Helps the viewer focus and understand what's going on.

All of this is helping me in honing in what looks to me I've done well and what I haven't.

Again, as I'm "going for visual", it is evident that the viewer will need to do a little bit more of work than just looking to understand what's going on (and why). But one of my main objectives of transmitting the mood of the event seems to have succeeded. The "cognitive dissonance" aspect may be too brainy and perhaps I need another angle...or a better written intro/narrative. I'm sure this would be easier if this had been a U.S. event (where less explaining and translation would need to be done).

And yes: that was my observation...a sense of loss, a sense that something is not well, and some have dealt with this loss in various ways, and most have reached a certain stage of this process. I have tried to sum all of that up with the use of the word "angst".

 

[rwintle]

Apologies if I'm repeating what others have said. I prefer colour for this as it seems more "journalistic" to me somehow - and it's also easier to make out the logos on the protestors' signs I think.

From your first two posts - I prefer the images where the signs and logos are much more obvious. Weaker photos IMHO are the second and third B&W ones, and the second-last of the colour ones - in that colour one the signs are less visible than in others and there seems to be less going on. The movie advertisement in one of those B&W ones seems a bit distracting.

That said, I really like the others, in particular the first and second of the colour series, which give a really good feel for the size of the protest and have some very characteristic architecture in them for context. The first B&W one is very strong too.

Just MHO, of course. 🙂

 

[Clint Troy]

Lacking a point of interest, a funny face somewhere. A twist.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Lacking a point of interest, a funny face somewhere. A twist.

Thanks Clint for the feedback.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Apologies if I'm repeating what others have said. I prefer colour for this as it seems more "journalistic" to me somehow - and it's also easier to make out the logos on the protestors' signs I think.

From your first two posts - I prefer the images where the signs and logos are much more obvious. Weaker photos IMHO are the second and third B&W ones, and the second-last of the colour ones - in that colour one the signs are less visible than in others and there seems to be less going on. The movie advertisement in one of those B&W ones seems a bit distracting.

That said, I really like the others, in particular the first and second of the colour series, which give a really good feel for the size of the protest and have some very characteristic architecture in them for context. The first B&W one is very strong too.

Just MHO, of course. 🙂

In short, there needs to be less different things in order to be more cohesive, and color works best than B&W. But with less things then there's much less to see. Protest shots are hard to pin down to only one thing "visually" through the series.


I really wish that other people that often comment in critiques would do so, but I'm beginning to get the sense that they're opting for silence instead of saying something "bad".

 

[Bingley]

A few more...


Proud.


One of many mayors (here wearing the sash) supporting being against the new law. In France, only mayors and their delegates have the "vested power" to perform weddings. As a secular government, it's worth noting that all government officials are expected (some would say required) to separate their religious beliefs from their public duties.

These two photos are particularly strong, IMO, and support your decision to shoot in color. I like the palette on the first one, and the gesture of the girl, and the repetition of white banners in the second is good.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

In all your offered images I didn't see a single strong face. In journalism there is a contemporary cliche': put a face on the story.

I know! But since this is not literally a photojournalistic piece, and I don't have Press credentials, I feel constrained by French privacy laws. I think I'm on pretty shaky ground as it is if I wanted this published outside of a purely journalistic context.

I'm ambivalent as to chossing color or B&W, but I would suggest to pick one and stay in that style.

I did, I chose color. I was just illustrating my path into selecting color rather than B&W. It is evident that my inclusion of B&W to show that the choice of color was, in my opinion, confusing to those who haven't read what I've typed about it.

I keep on forgetting that people don't always read everything! (guilty myself)

Considering what I see in your presented images, I (personally) would lean towards B&W, but rather than a pure gray scale, I would tone them either as a mild sepia or (in Light Room) a cream tone option.

I had considered that myself --a very mild sepia or cream tone. Noted.

I think it a wise to be aware of changing social standards. A photo documentation of the dynamic events as well as the preceeding establishment and the succeeding results should not only be of interest now but also stand the test of time.

Agreed.

I just found out they're thinking about having another rally. I hope that then I can hone in on focusing the series, and will attempt not only on refining what I've attempted so far, but what I've understood from the feedback here that I also agree on being shortcomings.

Thanks.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

The following images are just overall from the pool I have, and for me these didn't make the cut (to me) for the series revolving around the general theme/focus I have stated in my first few posts...

 

[mmork]

Hi. I find that you succeed in taking a "neutral" documentary position. I also prefer the color over the b/w ones.

I do not miss the "standout" faces/details, but feel strangely attracted towards scrutinizing the faces of the demonstrators one by one. What is it that unites them? Why the angst, why the bitterness? What does it take away from them if others are grated a right that they already enjoy? After a while I begin to perceive uniting features, or at least to imagine them. Fascinating.

Markus

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I appreciate your position. I would still make the images I wanted, even if I didn't have an immediate venue for display. Who knows, 5 or 10 years from now you may do a book and then be able to claim journalistic privilege.

Excellent point and advice. Needed that.

By law are you prevented from making the photos of identifiable faces or just displaying them / publishing them for other than pure news interest?

I believe it is if I published them commercially and directly gained financially by the image (i.e. photo sold).

It was first brought to my attention by security at the Louvre, where they were very adamant in not allowing the crowd gawking at the Mona Lisa, and I asked why; interestingly, it was a non-French who had sued the Louvre for having allowed a photographer take "their" photo (one face among from literally hundreds in the crowd...quite a stretch) they saw at a publication. Regardless the plaintiff won or not, the admin got burned enough they were clamping down on this behaviour.

HCB, Doisneau, Eisenstein would not be possible in the current climate. Weegee's break, Brassai...I wonder if the time is near when a street cartoonist will be sued for not having a proper model release.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

Hi. I find that you succeed in taking a "neutral" documentary position. I also prefer the color over the b/w ones.

I do not miss the "standout" faces/details, but feel strangely attracted towards scrutinizing the faces of the demonstrators one by one. What is it that unites them? Why the angst, why the bitterness? What does it take away from them if others are grated a right that they already enjoy? After a while I begin to perceive uniting features, or at least to imagine them. Fascinating.

Markus

Thank you, Markus. This is, imvho, far harder than getting immediate "news-like" action shots where general sympathies draw the viewer in more. I'm trying to do something that I don't see much: make a visual commentary on a subject, without actually getting involved, with a twist of fine-art, without it really being so. New or unusual things are often not easy to digest. They also have a higher bar, as funny as that may seem to some. It's rather more "stick to the story" or "stick to what's expected"...very very tricky to do a mix.

I appreciate your feedback, gives me hope.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

HCB, Doisneau, Eisenstein would not be possible in the current climate. Weegee's break, Brassai...I wonder if the time is near when a street cartoonist will be sued for not having a proper model release.

It does seem rather odd that, in the land of "Liberté, égalité, fraternité", public photography is curtailed, if not banned. Perhaps we shall see the eventual triumph of "Travail, famille, patrie" and France will have its very own Grand Frère.

Wait a minute, didn't they try that in the 'Sixies?

🙂