Semi-OT: an article on protest photography
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lubitel
Well-known
Very good article. Thanks.
I was just a few weeks ago at a protest for the first time. I really didnt know what I was doing or how to behave. This is very helpful.
I was just a few weeks ago at a protest for the first time. I really didnt know what I was doing or how to behave. This is very helpful.
jonasv
has no mustache
Interesting read. Some nice shots as well. Thanks for sharing!
Jocko
Off With The Pixies
Exceptionally interesting. Thank you very much.
robert blu
quiet photographer
very interesting and nice photos as well.
K
Kyle
Guest
Just thought I'd bump this one up. Its an interesting article, and I had to dig it up because I wanted to refresh my memory about the topic. I'll be driving up to San Francisco this weekend to photograph the large anti-war rally that will be going on there.
Rick Waldroup
Well-known
I will be photographing several war protests this coming weekend in the Dallas area. There are to be many staged all over the country to mark the 3rd anniversary of the start of the Gulf War. I shot one several months ago in Crawford, Texas using nothing but my Bessas. It was like stepping back in time 35 years ago to one I shot in Los Angeles protesting another war. We never seem to learn. I shot that one using a couple of Nikon F's.
jonasv
has no mustache
Nice article. Going to shoot a students protest on thursday. First time.. curious how it'll turn out. I can't prepare or scout the locations beforehand, so I'm just gonna go over and "go with the flow". No point in trying to stay out of the mass of the students, I am, and look like, a student myself, no way the police would let me slip through their line.
K
Kyle
Guest
Rick Waldroup said:
This will be my first time photographing a rally (or even attending a protest this large). We could go to the protest in LA and it would save my friends and I lots of money in gas and lodging, but a trip to San Francisco is more fun and from what I understand the mood is less tense up there.
sjc
it will be shot on film
Glad to hear about members excercising or perhaps even asserting their right to free speech. Better to bring a RF than a molotov cocktail. I am sure tired of all the killing and destruction. Best wishes for a peaceful, non-violent experience.
Steven
Steven
Rick Waldroup
Well-known
I have shot several events like this over the last 30 odd years or so. I even shot a KKK march in downtown Dallas in the early 1980's. That was the only thing I have ever shot where actual widespread violence broke out. The KKK was outnumbered by protesters there to protest the KKK march by at least 100 to 1. Bottles and rocks being thrown, people trying to rush the police lines protecting the KKK marchers- really a wild scene. The above mentioned article had some excellent points. I too, wear a vest and never carry a camera bag. I go to document the event, I never try to associate myself with anyone in any way- even though I may support their efforts. My goal is to document the event.
I also take along LOTS of film. I shoot 3 cameras (I hate changing lenses). And I bring at least 20 rolls of film. All I shoot is B&W. Bring some food. I bring high protein granola bars- they are light and easy to carry in my vest. I plan on covering an event on Friday, and two seperate protests on Saturday and Sunday. I cannot stress enough to wear comfortable shoes. I wear hiking boots I have had for years. Your adrenaline will carry you through the event but expect a big letdown when it is over. You will be tired. This is true democracy in action and it is thrilling to be a part of it.
I also take along LOTS of film. I shoot 3 cameras (I hate changing lenses). And I bring at least 20 rolls of film. All I shoot is B&W. Bring some food. I bring high protein granola bars- they are light and easy to carry in my vest. I plan on covering an event on Friday, and two seperate protests on Saturday and Sunday. I cannot stress enough to wear comfortable shoes. I wear hiking boots I have had for years. Your adrenaline will carry you through the event but expect a big letdown when it is over. You will be tired. This is true democracy in action and it is thrilling to be a part of it.
yossarian
Well-known
Kyle, there are too many good reasons for attending something like this than I have time to list, but I have very fond memories of the ones at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station in the late '80s. I met Dr. Benjamin Spock and Richie Havens at a couple, and at one there were survivors from Hiroshima who came to speak. Three of them
saw me with my gear and handed me their cameras, so I could photograph them on
the stage as they spoke. It's hard to describe how that felt, other than emotional
for me, and an enormous gesture of trust on their part.
The range of people--ages, ethnicity, backgrounds--it all made for a memorable meeting of the minds, even though encounters were brief. I could look in their eyes
and see the sense of purpose, the sincerity, and the acceptance of someone whose
life experiences might have been entirely different from theirs.
For me it was a chance to discover the rush of photojournalism--finding I had the knack to know where to be and when. My stuff was only published in the small paper
distributed by the organizer of the events--my contributions for the cause. But that
was enough for me at the time--I still feel that way. They were great experiences,
and even the occasional negative occurance became just another part of the educational process of it all.
Enjoy every second of it all. And be prepared to come away from it wanting more.
Fred
Station in the late '80s. I met Dr. Benjamin Spock and Richie Havens at a couple, and at one there were survivors from Hiroshima who came to speak. Three of them
saw me with my gear and handed me their cameras, so I could photograph them on
the stage as they spoke. It's hard to describe how that felt, other than emotional
for me, and an enormous gesture of trust on their part.
The range of people--ages, ethnicity, backgrounds--it all made for a memorable meeting of the minds, even though encounters were brief. I could look in their eyes
and see the sense of purpose, the sincerity, and the acceptance of someone whose
life experiences might have been entirely different from theirs.
For me it was a chance to discover the rush of photojournalism--finding I had the knack to know where to be and when. My stuff was only published in the small paper
distributed by the organizer of the events--my contributions for the cause. But that
was enough for me at the time--I still feel that way. They were great experiences,
and even the occasional negative occurance became just another part of the educational process of it all.
Enjoy every second of it all. And be prepared to come away from it wanting more.
Fred
Rick Waldroup
Well-known
In my younger days I shot this kind of stuff with Nikon SLR's. For the events this coming weekend I will be shooting a Bessa L with a 25mm lens, a Bessa R2 with a Konica 90mm lens, and a Bessa R3A with the 40mm lens. I also plan on carrying a very small Panasonic mini cam recorder. All of this fits very neatly on me and inside my vest.
John Camp
Well-known
I covered a lot of this stuff as a reporter in the 60s and 70s -- one of the first things I learned was not to carry a camera. 😎 To get the best shots, photographers have to stick their faces in it; us reporters could stand back and think about it; I liked to think of us as the intellectual portion of the reporting team. Also the safer portion. The real nightmare is to be a TV reporter who has to turn on lights at night; you're a static target for people out in the dark.
Suggestions: don't dress like a protester. Wear soft leather shoes, jeans, a neat t-shirt (leave the "Lick Bush in 2004" at home) and a sportcoat that you can roll up and hang on your camera bag. Without the sportcoat, you look like you might be one of us; with the sport coat, you look like you might be one of (the other) us. If trouble starts, try to move away from the cops and at right-angles to the way the crowd is running. If there *really* is going to be trouble, and you want to stay close, try to stay *behind" the cops. Do not get close and try to get shots of cops beating up somebody, because that really pisses them off. I'd use at least a 90, and be ready to move. If things start getting edgy, don't be afraid to tell the cops that you're just a photographer, and mean no harm. Don't be afraid to lie. "Hey! I'm on your side!" -- it only has to work for a minute. If they start using tear gas, watch for the canisters: from down range, they look like softball fly-balls. There'll be a haze around sometimes, but sometimes, you'll take a breath of absolutely clear air and the next thing you know, your lungs try to jump out of your body. Tear gas burns bare skin; water helps a lot. If there's a march to somewhere, get out front and look for people watching from second-floor apartments: yell, "Hey, I'm a photographer, can I come up?" They'll often let you in, and you can get good high-angle shots. Main thing is, you can get some really good stuff if you stay AWARE of what's happening. If you want to get beat up, the best place is the friction line between the cops and the protesters -- the protesters are often too jammed up to give you space to run away, and the cops won't let anybody through. Peace., brother.
JC
Suggestions: don't dress like a protester. Wear soft leather shoes, jeans, a neat t-shirt (leave the "Lick Bush in 2004" at home) and a sportcoat that you can roll up and hang on your camera bag. Without the sportcoat, you look like you might be one of us; with the sport coat, you look like you might be one of (the other) us. If trouble starts, try to move away from the cops and at right-angles to the way the crowd is running. If there *really* is going to be trouble, and you want to stay close, try to stay *behind" the cops. Do not get close and try to get shots of cops beating up somebody, because that really pisses them off. I'd use at least a 90, and be ready to move. If things start getting edgy, don't be afraid to tell the cops that you're just a photographer, and mean no harm. Don't be afraid to lie. "Hey! I'm on your side!" -- it only has to work for a minute. If they start using tear gas, watch for the canisters: from down range, they look like softball fly-balls. There'll be a haze around sometimes, but sometimes, you'll take a breath of absolutely clear air and the next thing you know, your lungs try to jump out of your body. Tear gas burns bare skin; water helps a lot. If there's a march to somewhere, get out front and look for people watching from second-floor apartments: yell, "Hey, I'm a photographer, can I come up?" They'll often let you in, and you can get good high-angle shots. Main thing is, you can get some really good stuff if you stay AWARE of what's happening. If you want to get beat up, the best place is the friction line between the cops and the protesters -- the protesters are often too jammed up to give you space to run away, and the cops won't let anybody through. Peace., brother.
JC
Finder
Veteran
Very interesting. I was interested in the conclusion of the essay:
I would if this is really believed anymore? Eugene Smith did not think the objective observer was possible. Even in science, it is recognized the observer impacts the outcome of the experiment. I don't mean the photographer has preconceived ideas or an agenda, but we cannot escape ourselves and so all work is finally subjective. I cannot think of one documentary photographer whose work is purely objective.
What do you think? Can there be an "objective" truth to photography?
I would if this is really believed anymore? Eugene Smith did not think the objective observer was possible. Even in science, it is recognized the observer impacts the outcome of the experiment. I don't mean the photographer has preconceived ideas or an agenda, but we cannot escape ourselves and so all work is finally subjective. I cannot think of one documentary photographer whose work is purely objective.
What do you think? Can there be an "objective" truth to photography?
Rick Waldroup
Well-known
Being completely objective is probably almost impossible, at least as far as documentary photography is concerned. I would think that you would want to document an event as it happened but I also think that your own beliefs and ideals would have to manifest themselves if there is to be any type of true narration to the event. You want to document but you also want to tell a story as you, the photographer, sees it. That was what made Eugene Smith so great. Witness the work of Salgado. He documents what he sees but the humanity of his work and vision is undeniable.Finder said:
Years ago when I shot the Ku Klux Klan rally, that I mentioned earlier, I shot the KKK marching, but I was much, much more interested in the crowd around the march. I wanted to show how the people in the anti-KKK march rally reacted to the scene that was before them. To me, that was the story- the reaction of the crowd, not the fact that the KKK was holding a march. So I shot many more photos of the crowd than I did of the actual march. And those are the photos that worked the best. You can document an event, but you have to put your heart into it for it to connect with the viewer.
jonasv
has no mustache
I figured I'd post some photos from the students protest yesterday. Not much to see there - nobody really seemed to care. There weren't a lot of people present either. Virtually no enthusiasm, and certainly not when they saw a camera - shame! Didn't get any special photos, but overall I guess it's OK since it was my first time shooting a similar event.
I ran out of film wednesday, and someone promised to bring me Tri-X, but it turned out to be TMY. UGH! I hate Tmax and it's clinical looks! On the upside it was very easy to scan and the grain is very fine for being exposed at 800 ISO and developed in Rodinal. Photos taken on the F4s + 18-35mm and the Olympus XA. Can't remember why I forgot to take the Bessa, quite silly of me cause I was looking forward to using it in combination with that 35/2.5 skopar in situations like this. Oh well, next time!
assembling at the start of the march towards the ministry of education:
the officer who's going to lead the way during the march overlooking the street before starting off:
standard cliché shot:
bored, uninspired faces all day long:
to escape these, I went looking higher, to get a few overview shots. Unfortunately these mainly showed how little people there were. Tilted shot, to include as many people as possible:
One more from above - after taking this shot, two security guys were running towards me (I think I might just have been in a private parking when taking these 😉) so I quickly ran off and dissappeared in the crowd.
Some kids got a bit annoyed when the cops blocked a sideroad, they took off dissappointed.
Arrived at the Ministy of Education, there were quite a few speeches. A couple of dozens eggs hit the buildings wall when nobody inside responded to the calls:
So, well. Nothing great. And I was freezing... but it was usefull, I had never done it before and I definitely learned a few things. (a) bring less camera equipment and more food/drinks (b) dress warmer (c) scout the locations (I knew this in advance, but didn't have any chance to do so this time) and (d) take some standard shots in the very beginning and where absolutely necessary (speeches etc), so that you can spend the rest of the time without any stress, just trying to get some interesting perspectives and compositions.
Any comments, suggestions or advice on the images would be appreciated!
jonas
I ran out of film wednesday, and someone promised to bring me Tri-X, but it turned out to be TMY. UGH! I hate Tmax and it's clinical looks! On the upside it was very easy to scan and the grain is very fine for being exposed at 800 ISO and developed in Rodinal. Photos taken on the F4s + 18-35mm and the Olympus XA. Can't remember why I forgot to take the Bessa, quite silly of me cause I was looking forward to using it in combination with that 35/2.5 skopar in situations like this. Oh well, next time!
assembling at the start of the march towards the ministry of education:
the officer who's going to lead the way during the march overlooking the street before starting off:
standard cliché shot:
bored, uninspired faces all day long:
to escape these, I went looking higher, to get a few overview shots. Unfortunately these mainly showed how little people there were. Tilted shot, to include as many people as possible:
One more from above - after taking this shot, two security guys were running towards me (I think I might just have been in a private parking when taking these 😉) so I quickly ran off and dissappeared in the crowd.
Some kids got a bit annoyed when the cops blocked a sideroad, they took off dissappointed.
Arrived at the Ministy of Education, there were quite a few speeches. A couple of dozens eggs hit the buildings wall when nobody inside responded to the calls:
So, well. Nothing great. And I was freezing... but it was usefull, I had never done it before and I definitely learned a few things. (a) bring less camera equipment and more food/drinks (b) dress warmer (c) scout the locations (I knew this in advance, but didn't have any chance to do so this time) and (d) take some standard shots in the very beginning and where absolutely necessary (speeches etc), so that you can spend the rest of the time without any stress, just trying to get some interesting perspectives and compositions.
Any comments, suggestions or advice on the images would be appreciated!
jonas
V
varjag
Guest
My remark was not regarding objectivity in photography, but rather neutrality in point of view. And neutrality is rather hard to maintain for any human being. This does not exclude emotions at all; just as when you pass by and spot an ugly street fight between two total strangers you don't have to take sides, but the event would surely evoke strong emotions on your part.Finder said:
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