Photographing Protests

[Phil Robinson]

54 minutes ago, geogphotos said:

Feels like we are in a prequel to the The Handmaid's Tale 

 

 

Funny you should say that 

 

[The Blinking Eye]

3 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Yes, it's starting to look rather dystopian out there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting to??🤣 It is.

[Marianne]

It's really hard shooting stock in any kind of political arena since you don't know how your photos will be used. It made me crazy that about half the photographs I took of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election ended up in right-wing media articles critical of her, but that is the risk you take. One even used a bogus quote about her and the way they used my byline it was easy to think it was something I said if you didn't read it carefully. That last bit really shook me, but it didn't stop me from taking photos,. However, she is a public figure and, more important to this discussion, the photographs themselves did not harm her.

 

But what happens if your photograph of a peaceful protestor is captioned in a way that makes it look as though they are a looter? Do they lose their job? Get arrested? If you are shooting for a reputable media outlet, and you take photos documenting what went on, including photographs of those who are looting, and you caption your images with the facts, you can trust that your client/employer will rely on those facts and properly caption the image. But you cannot always trust the buyer of a stock image to do so. That's what makes it so hard in this instance, at this particular moment in history - and it makes me both sad and angry that we have to worry about documenting the truth. If you are a photojournalist shooting stock, the integrity of your image can be turned on its head. That doesn't mean we don't have the right - or even the obligation - to document what is going on, but being mindful of how our images can be used when our country is literally burning, may understandably make us take a step back and decide not to take those photographs, or to take photos as part of the historical record, but not to release them now when things are so fraught. 

 

Photographs don't always tell the truth. They are open to interpretation. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take them - and I applaud those photojournalists out there - on assignment or shooting stock - who are taking a risk right now, with both protestors and the police turning on the media - but I also understand stock photographers here in the US, whether or not they have a photojournalism background - who worry about how their images may be used - and who chose not to document these protests. As stock photographers we are not assured that any of the images we take will even be published, nor can we control who publishes them and how.

 

The "media" has changed - there was always "yellow journalism" but today the "media" is so amorphous, so all consuming, and so out of control, and our country stands at the brink - it's incredibly scary right now - and we are rudderless. Those of you who don't live in the US, I believe, can't know the depth of the horror those of us who support the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protestors feel as we see this essential movement turn into chaos, as we watch our country literally burning, and fear the instability of those in control, the threats that our own military will be turned on our citizens. You probably don't know the pain of having a child who can't see a future for herself in the country of her birth if things don't change. I wouldn't want to take a photograph right now that would ruin someone else's daughter's life because some unscrupulous editor captioned it wrong. I had a long talk with a friend today who is so frightened because her 22-year-old African American daughter is out protesting in California, she's proud of her but fearful for her safety, and reading this discussion I couldn't help thinking of how a photo of her peacefully protesting could effect her life.

 

I don't recognize the world I'm living in.

 

Our dystopian present started a while ago. I envy you Canadians, Brits, Dutch, Aussies, and all the rest. I can empathize with my African American relatives and friends but I don't really know what it's like to be them. And, lucky for you, you don't really know what it's like to be us right now, but we appreciate your empathy. We have all of us on this fragile planet gone through something so frightening and it should have brought us closer, yet here in the US it is causing an even greater divide. 

Edited June 3, 2020 by Marianne

[sb photos]

1 hour ago, Marianne said:

It's really hard shooting stock in any kind of political arena since you don't know how your photos will be used.

 

That shouldn't put you off, it doesn't me, but in certain circumstances I'm glad that my photo credit is just Alamy.

[Marianne]

15 minutes ago, sb photos said:

 

That shouldn't put you off, it doesn't me, but in certain circumstances I'm glad that my photo credit is just Alamy.

 

In most instances it might bother me but it won't stop me from taking photos  - but with what is happening now here in the US it feels different and too dangerous to our democracy to shoot images that can be used by the rightwing to further their agenda. It feels wrong to say this since my journalistic instincts tell me to remain neutral but my morality and frankly my love for my country and my wish to see things change tells me that at this moment in history how my images could be used is too important to let them be co-opted. It's gut-wrenching to feel this tension between my principals and the need to document history - I can relate to the fear of that protestor Gina mentioned and her uneasiness in this situation despite my conviction that she had every right to take that woman's photo had she been so inclined and that she should not feel any guilt about it - and I can also relate to Kristin's uneasiness in documenting the historical riots taking place around her - it's unbelievable to me that I would ever feel this way - and I think it is so important for the story and images to get out there - but I can't fault anyone for holding back or being conflicted in this particular situation if they don't know how their images will be used. 

 

It's ironic as stock photographers our aim is usually to make the most useful photos possible, photos that work for a variety of situations, even news images that can later be used as secondary editorial stock, but in a situation like this the malleability of our images can be dangerous to our principals. Quite a dilemma. 

[Russell]

This is sobering reading from the Freedom of the Press Foundation ... ...

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zk9oFDJ3Ocbz80Z1ISSW4Sd5xv1vQTj_tF8KCbPsZxs/edit#gid=0

 

R.

Edited June 3, 2020 by Russell
activate link

[spacecadet]

8 hours ago, Marianne said:

It's really hard shooting stock in any kind of political arena since you don't know how your photos will be used. It made me crazy that about half the photographs I took of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election ended up in right-wing media articles critical of her, but that is the risk you take. One even used a bogus quote about her and the way they used my byline it was easy to think it was something I said if you didn't read it carefully. That last bit really shook me, but it didn't stop me from taking photos,. However, she is a public figure and, more important to this discussion, the photographs themselves did not harm her.

 

--------------------------------------------

 

Our dystopian present started a while ago. I envy you Canadians, Brits, Dutch, Aussies, and all the rest. I can empathize with my African American relatives and friends but I don't really know what it's like to be them. And, lucky for you, you don't really know what it's like to be us right now, but we appreciate your empathy. We have all of us on this fragile planet gone through something so frightening and it should have brought us closer, yet here in the US it is causing an even greater divide. 

Thankyou. Those are sobering words. Reading the reports here I wondered if I could believe my eyes. No  longer..Take care.

Edited June 3, 2020 by spacecadet

[Phil Crean]

This may be of interest...Webinar: Strategies for Safely Covering Protests

http://Visura.co/x/45168

 

Phil

[John Mitchell]

13 hours ago, Marianne said:

Our dystopian present started a while ago. I envy you Canadians, Brits, Dutch, Aussies, and all the rest. I can empathize with my African American relatives and friends but I don't really know what it's like to be them. And, lucky for you, you don't really know what it's like to be us right now, but we appreciate your empathy. We have all of us on this fragile planet gone through something so frightening and it should have brought us closer, yet here in the US it is causing an even greater divide. 

 

Police brutality and racism are both alive and well in Canada. For instance, Indigenous people are often harassed and treated unfairly by the police here. Fortunately, though, we don't have the deep political divide or so-called "culture wars" that plague the US and make the situation so much worse. I think that what is happening now in the streets could be a turning point (finally) both in the US and elsewhere. Let's hope so.

Edited June 3, 2020 by John Mitchell

[The Blinking Eye]

19 hours ago, Marianne said:

It's really hard shooting stock in any kind of political arena since you don't know how your photos will be used. It made me crazy that about half the photographs I took of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election ended up in right-wing media articles critical of her, but that is the risk you take. One even used a bogus quote about her and the way they used my byline it was easy to think it was something I said if you didn't read it carefully. That last bit really shook me, but it didn't stop me from taking photos,. However, she is a public figure and, more important to this discussion, the photographs themselves did not harm her.

 

But what happens if your photograph of a peaceful protestor is captioned in a way that makes it look as though they are a looter? Do they lose their job? Get arrested? If you are shooting for a reputable media outlet, and you take photos documenting what went on, including photographs of those who are looting, and you caption your images with the facts, you can trust that your client/employer will rely on those facts and properly caption the image. But you cannot always trust the buyer of a stock image to do so. That's what makes it so hard in this instance, at this particular moment in history - and it makes me both sad and angry that we have to worry about documenting the truth. If you are a photojournalist shooting stock, the integrity of your image can be turned on its head. That doesn't mean we don't have the right - or even the obligation - to document what is going on, but being mindful of how our images can be used when our country is literally burning, may understandably make us take a step back and decide not to take those photographs, or to take photos as part of the historical record, but not to release them now when things are so fraught. 

 

Photographs don't always tell the truth. They are open to interpretation. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take them - and I applaud those photojournalists out there - on assignment or shooting stock - who are taking a risk right now, with both protestors and the police turning on the media - but I also understand stock photographers here in the US, whether or not they have a photojournalism background - who worry about how their images may be used - and who chose not to document these protests. As stock photographers we are not assured that any of the images we take will even be published, nor can we control who publishes them and how.

 

The "media" has changed - there was always "yellow journalism" but today the "media" is so amorphous, so all consuming, and so out of control, and our country stands at the brink - it's incredibly scary right now - and we are rudderless. Those of you who don't live in the US, I believe, can't know the depth of the horror those of us who support the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protestors feel as we see this essential movement turn into chaos, as we watch our country literally burning, and fear the instability of those in control, the threats that our own military will be turned on our citizens. You probably don't know the pain of having a child who can't see a future for herself in the country of her birth if things don't change. I wouldn't want to take a photograph right now that would ruin someone else's daughter's life because some unscrupulous editor captioned it wrong. I had a long talk with a friend today who is so frightened because her 22-year-old African American daughter is out protesting in California, she's proud of her but fearful for her safety, and reading this discussion I couldn't help thinking of how a photo of her peacefully protesting could effect her life.

 

I don't recognize the world I'm living in.

 

Our dystopian present started a while ago. I envy you Canadians, Brits, Dutch, Aussies, and all the rest. I can empathize with my African American relatives and friends but I don't really know what it's like to be them. And, lucky for you, you don't really know what it's like to be us right now, but we appreciate your empathy. We have all of us on this fragile planet gone through something so frightening and it should have brought us closer, yet here in the US it is causing an even greater divide. 

I'm from Minneapolis and George Floyd lived in the suburb I grew up in at his death. I and my friends (and mother) in Minnesota are absolutely traumatized by what has happened to that beautiful city. In addition, where I live, on the Oakland border, we have had four nights of destruction and looting because I live a block away from one mall and another strip mall is across the lot on the other side of my building. It has been absolute mayhem and looters parked on my street in front of my building. While I support Black Lives Matter fully, I have found it impossible to not simply be in a state of shock, pain and fear. So exhausted. Things are very, very bad for us in the USA right now.

[MarkK]

23 hours ago, Marianne said:

It's really hard shooting stock in any kind of political arena since you don't know how your photos will be used. It made me crazy that about half the photographs I took of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election ended up in right-wing media articles critical of her, but that is the risk you take. One even used a bogus quote about her and the way they used my byline it was easy to think it was something I said if you didn't read it carefully. That last bit really shook me, but it didn't stop me from taking photos,. However, she is a public figure and, more important to this discussion, the photographs themselves did not harm her.

 

But what happens if your photograph of a peaceful protestor is captioned in a way that makes it look as though they are a looter? Do they lose their job? Get arrested? If you are shooting for a reputable media outlet, and you take photos documenting what went on, including photographs of those who are looting, and you caption your images with the facts, you can trust that your client/employer will rely on those facts and properly caption the image. But you cannot always trust the buyer of a stock image to do so. That's what makes it so hard in this instance, at this particular moment in history - and it makes me both sad and angry that we have to worry about documenting the truth. If you are a photojournalist shooting stock, the integrity of your image can be turned on its head. That doesn't mean we don't have the right - or even the obligation - to document what is going on, but being mindful of how our images can be used when our country is literally burning, may understandably make us take a step back and decide not to take those photographs, or to take photos as part of the historical record, but not to release them now when things are so fraught. 

 

Photographs don't always tell the truth. They are open to interpretation. That doesn't mean we shouldn't take them - and I applaud those photojournalists out there - on assignment or shooting stock - who are taking a risk right now, with both protestors and the police turning on the media - but I also understand stock photographers here in the US, whether or not they have a photojournalism background - who worry about how their images may be used - and who chose not to document these protests. As stock photographers we are not assured that any of the images we take will even be published, nor can we control who publishes them and how.

 

The "media" has changed - there was always "yellow journalism" but today the "media" is so amorphous, so all consuming, and so out of control, and our country stands at the brink - it's incredibly scary right now - and we are rudderless. Those of you who don't live in the US, I believe, can't know the depth of the horror those of us who support the Black Lives Matter movement and the peaceful protestors feel as we see this essential movement turn into chaos, as we watch our country literally burning, and fear the instability of those in control, the threats that our own military will be turned on our citizens. You probably don't know the pain of having a child who can't see a future for herself in the country of her birth if things don't change. I wouldn't want to take a photograph right now that would ruin someone else's daughter's life because some unscrupulous editor captioned it wrong. I had a long talk with a friend today who is so frightened because her 22-year-old African American daughter is out protesting in California, she's proud of her but fearful for her safety, and reading this discussion I couldn't help thinking of how a photo of her peacefully protesting could effect her life.

 

I don't recognize the world I'm living in.

 

Our dystopian present started a while ago. I envy you Canadians, Brits, Dutch, Aussies, and all the rest. I can empathize with my African American relatives and friends but I don't really know what it's like to be them. And, lucky for you, you don't really know what it's like to be us right now, but we appreciate your empathy. We have all of us on this fragile planet gone through something so frightening and it should have brought us closer, yet here in the US it is causing an even greater divide. 

Really impressive post you have written.  I agree with you.  This past weekend here in Cleveland, Ohio I was photographing the protests in downtown which after a couple hours turned violent.  Much of downtown was vandalized, looted, etc. resulting in a curfew until Friday......seven days later which gives insight into the damage.  As I was uploading photographs I was wondering who will use them.  Will the police in Cleveland use them to identify protesters? The last thing I want is for people to be identified and then potentially falsely accused of doing something that may not have.  For example, in one photo a young guy holds a bat at his side.  His full face is showing.  Did he use the bat? I don't know.  As the very nature of the protests are against police culture in the US it is ironic that the photos could be used in dubious ways by them.   Thanks again for the post as it really made me think.

[The Blinking Eye]

3 hours ago, MarkK said:

Really impressive post you have written.  I agree with you.  This past weekend here in Cleveland, Ohio I was photographing the protests in downtown which after a couple hours turned violent.  Much of downtown was vandalized, looted, etc. resulting in a curfew until Friday......seven days later which gives insight into the damage.  As I was uploading photographs I was wondering who will use them.  Will the police in Cleveland use them to identify protesters? The last thing I want is for people to be identified and then potentially falsely accused of doing something that may not have.  For example, in one photo a young guy holds a bat at his side.  His full face is showing.  Did he use the bat? I don't know.  As the very nature of the protests are against police culture in the US it is ironic that the photos could be used in dubious ways by them.   Thanks again for the post as it really made me think.

 

You've got some really dramatic photos there. I used to want to be in the thick of it, but for some reason right now, I just can't participate at all, to the extent that I don't even want to take photos. I'm too exhausted and traumatized. Not to mention there is still a pandemic out of control.

[Mr Standfast]

We have a black lives matter protest in Bristol this weekend, we also have a hospital 25 miles away which is currently closed to new admissions because of a Covid hotspot. 

 

Younger braver photographers than me will have a difficult job this weekend. I'm staying home, stay safe kids.

[IanDavidson]

The dangers in London are clear.  I was at the BLM demo in Whitehall yesterday and got some photos of British police (the best in the world, Tom Robinson) taking the knee outside Downing Street (since published in the Telegraph).  Fortunately I got out before the trouble started....

[imageplotter]

Hobbyist 2-days a week "photographers" who can barely crop a decent image repeatedly going out in central London spreading a virus because they fancy themselves important are the real danger. Shame on all of them. Hope the lives of others were worth the tiny amount you'll earn from that sh*t. Rant over. Don't care what you think. It's wrong on every level.

[MarkK]

8 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

You've got some really dramatic photos there. I used to want to be in the thick of it, but for some reason right now, I just can't participate at all, to the extent that I don't even want to take photos. I'm too exhausted and traumatized. Not to mention there is still a pandemic out of control.

Thank you.  I see my role as documenting society thus while I am not out there protesting I see myself doing my part in helping document in a world in which truth is seemingly becoming non-existent.  While photos, such as those of the protests, have bias as we determine what is in and outside the frame, they provide a somewhat objective of truth in what is happening.  On another note, the Cleveland police have put a call out to those who have videos and photographs of what they have termed 'riots'.  What do we do as photographers? Do we contribute to potentially giving evidence and ultimately getting the protesters pinned for standing up for injustice? There are a lot of ethical questions, as citizens and photographers, to ask during these crazy times. 

[MDM]

1 hour ago, MarkK said:

Thank you.  I see my role as documenting society thus while I am not out there protesting I see myself doing my part in helping document in a world in which truth is seemingly becoming non-existent.  While photos, such as those of the protests, have bias as we determine what is in and outside the frame, they provide a somewhat objective of truth in what is happening.  On another note, the Cleveland police have put a call out to those who have videos and photographs of what they have termed 'riots'.  What do we do as photographers? Do we contribute to potentially giving evidence and ultimately getting the protesters pinned for standing up for injustice? There are a lot of ethical questions, as citizens and photographers, to ask during these crazy times. 

 

Looking at your pictures, I think it is astonishing that there is a row of mostly black people wearing face masks for Covid-19 (these little masks would not prevent identification) and linking arms. Given that touch is considered to be the most effective means of transmitting the virus, I have to wonder what they are thinking, given that black people are at significantly higher risk of death from Covid-19 and some are also obese. I find that astonishing really. 

 

That may be the most important thing about your images. We are seeing loads of horrific images of peaceful people being teargassed,  arrested, shot with who knows what and so on but I don't see how most of your images are contributing anything new to the story. Perhaps the most important question you can ask yourself is in relation to the pandemic. Are you immune to Covid-19 yourself for example. And what would you do if the police requested your images in order to try to prosecute somebody? You can ask the questions but you should know the answers before you take the pictures.

 

I should add that I abhor racists and racism and find the situation in the USA unbelieveable but will stop there. Take care of yourself. 

[MarkK]

19 minutes ago, MDM said:

 

Looking at your pictures, I think it is astonishing that there is a row of mostly black people wearing face masks for Covid-19 (these little masks would not prevent identification) and linking arms. Given that touch is considered to be the most effective means of transmitting the virus, I have to wonder what they are thinking, given that black people are at significantly higher risk of death from Covid-19 and some are also obese. I find that astonishing really. 

 

That may be the most important thing about your images. We are seeing loads of horrific images of peaceful people being teargassed,  arrested, shot with who knows what and so on but I don't see how most of your images are contributing anything new to the story. Perhaps the most important question you can ask yourself is in relation to the pandemic. Are you immune to Covid-19 yourself for example. And what would you do if the police requested your images in order to try to prosecute somebody? You can ask the questions but you should know the answers before you take the pictures.

 

I should add that I abhor racists and racism and find the situation in the USA unbelieveable but will stop there. Take care of yourself. 

This is a great thread and appreciate the comments.  Yes, covid-19 is a major issue obviously and while many protesters had masks, as the day wore on and the screaming and shouted escalated the masks seemed to come down.  Much of the police force, if you look closely in some of the photos, don't have masks on either.  I was scared shtless to go to the protests as I have been VERY careful until this point.  I even told some friends it was a slip in judgement to go. I have self quarantined since.  As for obesity, as one who has lived overseas on and off for many years, it is a major problem not just with the black community but with Americans in general.  It seems to be the first thing I notice everytime I come back from living abroad.  The coronavirus as you know has been played down by the politicians and as a culture it seems the economy is more important than the health of those contributing to the economy (yes it is ironic). 

 

As for not contributing to the story, I disagree.  I have been watching constant coverage from many sources (BBC, Washington Post, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, New York Times) and not once have I seen Cleveland, Ohio covered.  That may be because it was so bad last saturday that they cut off access to the city to even journalists (yes that is a huge problem) thus the story could not be documented after Saturday other than from the politicians and police.  That in and of itself means the full story is not being shown.  Cleveland has a huge African American population and the damage done to the city was incalculable.  Today the police have put out a notice on social media and the news that they want photos and videos from the protests! To say I am not contributing anything to understanding of what is going on is wrong......If all people hear about is the protests in NYC, DC, and LA they aren't seeing the bigger picture.  I am contributing to that bigger picture.  As for stating I should think about how pictures I take before I take them is wrong......instead I will take the photos and then decide afterwards as I go through them.  If I have to think about the potential issues associated with each photo I take before I take it then I would be missing out on a lot of photo opportunities.  Instead I will make the ethical decisions during the editing process because at that point they are not public and I am outside the context of the riots to determine if I will submit or not. 

[MDM]

 

13 minutes ago, MarkK said:

If I have to think about the potential issues associated with each photo I take before I take it then I would be missing out on a lot of photo opportunities.  Instead I will make the ethical decisions during the editing process because at that point they are not public and I am outside the context of the riots to determine if I will submit or not. 

 

OK if you think you are contributing something that is otherwise not being documented but you may be at very high risk in doing so from accidental or intentional violence as well as Covid-19. 

 

And what if the police demand to see the images on your camera on the spot? Have you got a plan, do you understand your legal rights, are you going to say no to a guy with a gun/[pepper spray/teargas? Or if the authorities serve you with some legal writ to hand over your pictures at a later point? These are the things I would be thinking about beforehand. 

[KHA]

Journalists face risk in many situations, not just this one. And lots of other professions face risk. Everyone has to decide for themselves what their personal risk threshold is. As far as contributing to a story, no photographer has any certainty of knowing whether they are going to have material that will contribute to a story until they get home, carefully examine those backgrounds, and see what they've got!

 

I'm black, and I would have zero qualms about going to an open-carry KKK rally, sticking a camera in someone's face and getting a shot of those eyes hiding behind that hood. If everyone lives their life in fear, change never happens.

 

I do what feels right to me, which may not be what's right for someone else. That's why we're all individuals.
 

I stay six feet away to the best of my ability (often requiring me to back up from people who get too close), but I have sinus issues and can't breathe well in a mask, and I think fresh air (unimpeded) is beneficial to health in general. It's hard to take it at face value that masks are now a necessity when at the outset the information being put forth was that masks weren't really helpful. If that was an untruth told to keep non-medical professionals from buying limited stocks, as is rumored, I think it was a destructive one. It eroded reliability and encourages people to now rightfully question any advice given on the topic.

[The Blinking Eye]

5 hours ago, MarkK said:

Thank you.  I see my role as documenting society thus while I am not out there protesting I see myself doing my part in helping document in a world in which truth is seemingly becoming non-existent.  While photos, such as those of the protests, have bias as we determine what is in and outside the frame, they provide a somewhat objective of truth in what is happening.  On another note, the Cleveland police have put a call out to those who have videos and photographs of what they have termed 'riots'.  What do we do as photographers? Do we contribute to potentially giving evidence and ultimately getting the protesters pinned for standing up for injustice? There are a lot of ethical questions, as citizens and photographers, to ask during these crazy times. 

 

 

I have photos of young black kids getting out of their cars, their license plates, their faces. I shot them from the roof of my building so they didn't see me. Minutes later, a huge sporting goods store was looted. I could easily turn them into the police. I decided not to and to not post them anywhere.  Though I question this method of 'standing up for justice', I don't think it's my job right now to get black kids arrested for crimes. In the meantime, people are telling me who the rioters were, that they were white punk kids etc, spreading rumors to support their agendas, having no idea what they are talking about in this particular occasion. So I identify with your urge to tell objective truth. I hate any kind of misinformation because it prevents us from being honest and solving the problems that exist. We need facts to do that.

[The Blinking Eye]

4 hours ago, MDM said:

 

Looking at your pictures, I think it is astonishing that there is a row of mostly black people wearing face masks for Covid-19 (these little masks would not prevent identification) and linking arms. Given that touch is considered to be the most effective means of transmitting the virus, I have to wonder what they are thinking, given that black people are at significantly higher risk of death from Covid-19 and some are also obese. I find that astonishing really.

 

San Francisco had an amazingly sealtight approach to COVID which has resulted in only (not only, it's awful, but...) 40 deaths for a very densely populated place. Extremely low ratio of infections and death vs. population count. Yesterday, I was positively horrified to see thousands of protesters flooding the streets in neighborhoods of friends who are health compromised. I have raised this point a few times on social media, to be shamed and silenced. Of course, I fully support Black Lives Matter and even got arrested in 1992 after the Rodney King riots. But I am feeling increasingly isolated by my stance and concern about COVID.

[The Blinking Eye]

2 hours ago, KHA said:

Journalists face risk in many situations, not just this one. And lots of other professions face risk. Everyone has to decide for themselves what their personal risk threshold is. As far as contributing to a story, no photographer has any certainty of knowing whether they are going to have material that will contribute to a story until they get home, carefully examine those backgrounds, and see what they've got!

 

I'm black, and I would have zero qualms about going to an open-carry KKK rally, sticking a camera in someone's face and getting a shot of those eyes hiding behind that hood. If everyone lives their life in fear, change never happens.

 

I do what feels right to me, which may not be what's right for someone else. That's why we're all individuals.
 

I stay six feet away to the best of my ability (often requiring me to back up from people who get too close), but I have sinus issues and can't breathe well in a mask, and I think fresh air (unimpeded) is beneficial to health in general. It's hard to take it at face value that masks are now a necessity when at the outset the information being put forth was that masks weren't really helpful. If that was an untruth told to keep non-medical professionals from buying limited stocks, as is rumored, I think it was a destructive one. It eroded reliability and encourages people to now rightfully question any advice given on the topic.

 

There's definitely spotty public education. We are opening up businesses, but I have not gotten clear information on how we are supposed to transition safely. So I can see how people just start doing what they want, especially when passions are at their peak.

[MarkK]

2 hours ago, KHA said:

Journalists face risk in many situations, not just this one. And lots of other professions face risk. Everyone has to decide for themselves what their personal risk threshold is. As far as contributing to a story, no photographer has any certainty of knowing whether they are going to have material that will contribute to a story until they get home, carefully examine those backgrounds, and see what they've got!

 

I'm black, and I would have zero qualms about going to an open-carry KKK rally, sticking a camera in someone's face and getting a shot of those eyes hiding behind that hood. If everyone lives their life in fear, change never happens.

 

I do what feels right to me, which may not be what's right for someone else. That's why we're all individuals.
 

I stay six feet away to the best of my ability (often requiring me to back up from people who get too close), but I have sinus issues and can't breathe well in a mask, and I think fresh air (unimpeded) is beneficial to health in general. It's hard to take it at face value that masks are now a necessity when at the outset the information being put forth was that masks weren't really helpful. If that was an untruth told to keep non-medical professionals from buying limited stocks, as is rumored, I think it was a destructive one. It eroded reliability and encourages people to now rightfully question any advice given on the topic.

I take care of my elderly parents who are 77 and 84......this has been my main concern and was why I worried about going down to the protests to take photos. This is why I still feel I made a mistake by going down there.  Cleveland has had 259 deaths and nearly 5000 cases so as the crowd got tear gassed consistently for well over an hour, this meant masks (if they had them) were pulled down, people were yelling, etc.. When I leave the house whether to take photos or otherwise, I am always thinking of my immunocrompromised parents and what the potential is that I get them sick.  Lastly, I no longer use cameras with zoom lenses but instead use my Fuji X100t meaning I have to get much closer to people then when I used my other cameras in the past....not a good thing when the coronavirus is still pervasive.  The Fujix100t is not the best in times of social distance and the types of photos I generally take.

Edited June 4, 2020 by MarkK
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[MDM]

50 minutes ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

San Francisco had an amazingly sealtight approach to COVID which has resulted in only (not only, it's awful, but...) 40 deaths for a very densely populated place. Extremely low ratio of infections and death vs. population count. Yesterday, I was positively horrified to see thousands of protesters flooding the streets in neighborhoods of friends who are health compromised. I have raised this point a few times on social media, to be shamed and silenced. Of course, I fully support Black Lives Matter and even got arrested in 1992 after the Rodney King riots. But I am feeling increasingly isolated by my stance and concern about COVID.

 

I think you are doing the right thing. Covid-19 has not gone away and it is not going to go away by magical thinking, praying or inspirational speaking. The only way it is going to to away is with an effective vaccine. It is not even known at the moment how long having had it will provide immunity.

 

3 hours ago, KHA said:

 

I stay six feet away to the best of my ability (often requiring me to back up from people who get too close), but I have sinus issues and can't breathe well in a mask, and I think fresh air (unimpeded) is beneficial to health in general. It's hard to take it at face value that masks are now a necessity when at the outset the information being put forth was that masks weren't really helpful. If that was an untruth told to keep non-medical professionals from buying limited stocks, as is rumored, I think it was a destructive one. It eroded reliability and encourages people to now rightfully question any advice given on the topic.

 

One of the big arguments against face masks is that they give a false sense of security. Firstly, the common face masks that most people wear are only really effective in preventing the wearer from spreading the disease by droplets from their own breath if they are infected. You need to be wearing a high grade surgical respirator as protection for yourself from airborne droplets as the normal face masks are next to useless for preventing you from getting the disease. Secondly, Covid-19 spreads very effectively by touch and can last some days on surfaces which is where all the stuff about hand washing comes from. As for believing anything that comes from the mouths of the so-called leaders of our various countries, well that is for another forum as political discussion is forbidden on this one. 

 

 

33 minutes ago, MarkK said:

I take care of my elderly parents who are 77 and 84......this has been my main concern and was why I worried about going down to the protests to take photos. This is why I still feel I made a mistake by going down there.  Cleveland has had 259 deaths and nearly 5000 cases so as the crowd got tear gassed consistently for well over an hour, this meant masks (if they had them) were pulled down, people were yelling, etc.. When I leave the house whether to take photos or otherwise, I am always thinking of my immunocrompromised parents and what the potential is that I get them sick.  Lastly, I no longer use cameras with zoom lenses but instead use my Fuji X100t meaning I have to get much closer to people then when I used my other cameras in the past....not a good thing when the coronavirus is still pervasive.  The Fujix100t is not the best in times of social distance and the types of photos I generally take.

 

There is no grey area on this. You should definitely not be going out to photograph these demonstations if you are in close contact with your elderly parents. It is a potentially very serious or fatal disease. 

 

Edited June 4, 2020 by MDM