Shooting Demonstrations

Already did a post or two on the protests in Los Angeles and Louisville, will spare y'all further pontificating seeing as not much has changed since then. Will save that until after Saturday's festivities.

Speaking of festivities, how many of y'all have been to a protest or demonstration? They're one of my favorite things to shoot, and also one of the more challenging.

Short of a war zone, they're one of the more dynamic environments to shoot in. Not all protests are created equal, but the livelier ones tend to come with more and better photo opportunities. More situational awareness requirements too.

Between guns, cars, cops, and counterprotesters, there's always plenty to keep your eyes peeled for. Generally none of that rears its ugly head but on the rare occasions they do, things can get a little intense.

You never know how people are going to react to having their photo taken. Some are excited for it and others are too but in a much more hostile way. Considering the police state we live in, I can quite understand where they're coming from.

If they seem particularly inclined to hostility, I'll ask their permission first, usually goes a long way towards deescalating things. Much of the time though, things are happening too quickly and there's not much possibility of asking.

With all that's going on, watching where you're going becomes much more important. On Monday I accidentally participated in the forehead vs camera lens challenge, ended up being a draw but the knot I got as a prize has just about gone away. Saturday is going to be a nationwide day of action, going to try and make sure the camera gets all the action this time. Until next time, watch out for them damn Canon people sneaking up behind you!