All too often as a student journalist the assignments that you receive will involve tedious board meetings, the newest organizational system being employed by the library on campus or the paving of the student parking lot. When an exciting story like the student union protesting increases in tuition fees arises, it is not only great in terms of writing, but the photos will undoubtedly come out better than when I covered a three hour long board meeting. Below are tips for photographing protests, marches and parades.
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| This photo from a San Diego Community College District board meeting on Oct. 18, 2012 isn't even remotely interesting, but hopefully it will serve as a contrast to the more exciting photos from parades and protests later in this post. Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp |
1. Show up early.
As with any other assignment in the field of journalism, it is important to show up early for a protest or parade. By doing so, you can talk to event organizers or those participating before they're exhausted from walking for miles.
Also, you might even luck out and get a winning shot like the one below. Before a rally for Trayvon Martin last year, I was waiting for the march to begin when one of the organizers started giving instructions as well as some of her thoughts about the Martin case. This was a great time to take photos because everyone was relatively stationary at the time, so I didn't have worry about blurry or lopsided photos. This was also helpful in having a variety of photos to choose from for the article.
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| This photo of Brisa Johnson from a Trayvon Martin rally at Balboa Park in San Diego on March 30, 2012 was taken before the march began. Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp |
2. Dress comfortably, not "business-casual" cute.
Make sure to wear shoes that you can comfortably run in if needed - you won't be able to properly take photos of a moving parade or protest if you're worried about twisting your ankle while wearing heels.
Yes, you might have to run. In order to shoot the best photos it is imperative to get in front of the crowd so that you can read any signs that are being carried and to get pictures of their faces. Don't be afraid to stand in the middle of the line of action in order to get photos of people as they walk by you.
3. Take A LOT of pictures.
As with any other photojournalism assignment, it is incredibly important to take way more photos than you think you need when covering a parade or march. With all of the movement, signs, children running around or many other distractions, your photos can easily wind up with off-centered, blurry or otherwise unusable photos. By taking a large number of photos, you'll have more than enough photos to choose from.
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| This photo was taken during an demonstration against the introduction of genetically modified organisms being introduced into Peru in Cusco, Peru on 2013. My brother, sister and mother are featured holding signs in the center of the shot. Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp |
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Very helpful advice, my teacher over at City College suggested the same thing and it has worked wonderfully for when taking photos for news articles and stand alone photos.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you find it to be helpful! When I was editor-in-chief at The Mesa Press it used to frustrate me to no end when someone came back with an event with only a handful of photos, many of which I was unable to use. I think no matter what the subject or event is, it is much better to have an overabundance of photos to choose from.
DeleteGood tips! I would have never thought about what type of clothes to wear to an event like that.
ReplyDeletePS great shots
Thank you for the compliment. I remember on one of my first assignments covering a protest/demonstration I decided I wanted to wear heels to look more professional, and I nearly twisted an ankle! This is one of the main reasons that I now wear Converse (thus the blog title, Journalists Wear Converse). They're simple, go with everything, and you can run in them!
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