How to improve my protest photos?

[sb photos]

5 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

Thanks for clarifying! When you talk about getting names of people, what were you referring to? Like a news story where they feature a photo or interview of an individual?

 

Once a protest or march has started asking for names is pretty impossible. As protesters arrive or begin to form up for a march can be useful. After or before photographing you can ask for a first name and where the person or group travelled from. Not all will want to assist but many do.

[sb photos]

5 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

Thanks! Your Pro-life photos are great. They seem really colorful.

 

The idea of making the message the focus, with supporting actors, is helpful.

 

Where there are two protests with opposing views I try to cover both, and if possible with equal numbers of images uploaded. I last did this re an annual pro life and pro choice protest in London's Westminster.

[Ed Rooney]

10 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

Can you give me an example of at least one that shouldn't be uploaded? Do you recommend bothering with Live News at all?

 

I'd rather not get specific. Sorry. 

 

Lots of people here shoot mostly Live News, so it must be worthwhile to do, eh? 

 

I was a PJ in the film era. I had press cards in NYC, Rome, and Saigon (during the war). I'm 89 and winding down my career, not building one. I recommend that everyone find their own path. I do Street for stock now. And food. Basta. If I come across a Protest, I shoot it. But for stock. I don't do wildlife, sports, rural landscapes, or Live News. 

 

Good luck.

[BidC]

On 22/12/2023 at 05:58, sb photos said:

Kristin, there's lots of valuable advice in this thread, so I'll only add a few items. I often carry a small monopod that I attach to a camera to gain height, higher than just holding a camera at arms length. Mine has a strap and clip attached, I will often clip it to my belt so I can easily access it. When elevated I fire the shutter via a cable often tilting the camera at different angles. this is also useful if there is a scrum around something of interest as you can shoot down and over heads. When shooting the head of a march I will if possible shoot the full width of the banner, then segments of it, then individual faces, even though at the time I might not know who the people are. Also I will stand, mostly stationary, in the centre of a march, shooting up close with a wide angle zoom as protesters walk past me. I will often elevate the camera by holding at arms length or via the monopod. If I see an interesting or controversial banner I will head for it, holding a camera high and saying excuse me, then move back to the centre of the road. Most important is having your IPTC info prepared in advance and leaving enough spare characters to describe what is in the individual photo. I currently use Photo Mechanic. Try not to shoot too many images as this will slow you down when culling. Always carry a laptop, mine are either a very light 12" or a 13", never a 15" as too heavy. Mine is always sleeping ready for use. Sometimes I also carry a fully charged power bank and USB-C cable for charging the laptop if it's going to be a busy day. I don't know what kit you carry, but 2 bodies with lenses attached makes life easier. In a crowd I will use 24-70 and 17-35mm lenses, other times likely a 24-70 and a 70-300 or 80-400. If shooting live news I'll edit and upload, usually by my phones hot spot, ASAP. Then there will be many other good images that I upload later that day as reportage, often editing during the 1 hour train journey back home from London. If I drive to cover an event and edit in the car, I use a small umbrella to shield my laptops screen from bright light. If wanting to upload news quickly and there is nowhere to shelter from direct light on the computer screen, I aways compare edited images to a 'gold standard' image kept on my desktop and adjust accordingly. Some time back when shooting a march I was walking/jogging backwards and trod on a march organisers foot, my apology was accepted. I've always had public liability insurance since then, at first for £3M, currently £5M.

 

 

I'm still learning, and fail a lot, but I can pretty much echo all this good advice (from Steve as well as all the others). I don't tend to carry a monopod (maybe I should, as climbing upwards with a heavy backpack is not easy ...). You can't be everywhere at once, so find a good spot and move once you've taken pictures you feel satisfied with.

 

Editing: I do some basic work, if needed. As Chuck says, the teams employed by news agencies can file much more rapidly, so I concentrate on trying to make sure I have decent images (OK - for anyone who now examines my portfolio, sometimes, in the rain for example, I don't manage quite what I would have liked).

A news picture may well have some imperfections. If a picture tells an important story and is really worth filing, then noise will not matter. Newspapers often use a smaller version of the picture, which also reduces imperfections. 

 

Capturing the mood of the protest is important. I do tend to introduce myself to smaller groups, as, to me, it otherwise feels impolite and intrusive.  And sometimes photos of smiling protesters do work (look at all the pictures of smiling junior doctors who are striking in the UK, for example. Personally I'm not sure why they do that, though perhaps i's to acknowledge public support. This is only my opinion).

 

And finally from a personal perspective, I try to balance costs. No point spending £50 on a fare to reap a $5 picture ...  - as has been said by one of the Alamy greats (now sadly deceased), something of national interest that is taking place locally not only reduces costs, but can illustrate how important the protest is throughout the country, even if you live in a 'small fry' town. 

 

Keep up the good work, Kirsten. You will get more of a feel for what works for you as time goes by.

You sound like you really enjoy the protest work. That in itself will be a great motivator for a great image.

 

Look at pictures that are being used, and ask yourself how did they do this, what makes it work, and how could you achieve that.

 

My two penneth, for what its worth .... 

Edited December 23, 2023 by BidC

[Mr Standfast]

14 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

WOW, thank you!

 

Eye contact!

 

Also, and following up on Chuck's comment too, who are you introducing yourself to? Are you asking individuals if you can take their photos? To pose? I never do that, and it hasn't seemed necessary. People are demonstrating in public, holding up signs already. Tomorrow's protest on Shabbat might be smaller and more spiritual. I could perhaps introduce myself to the main group before it begins.

 

I have gotten much more bold and comfortable moving in front of the crowd where the action is. People have been gracious letting me through and I don't spend long there.

 

I have never gone with a plan, other than to show up early. Googling vantage points, such great advice! Awesome tips, thank you!!

 

 

Hello,

 

Knowing if you should introduce yourself is one of those soft skills that are part of being a photographer. It depends on the event. At a Strike Picket it's eay and hard to avoid saying hello. At a protest, not so much. At a recent anarchist anti police riot which had all the potential to go wrong I just took pictures and didn't engage with any of the protestors. Many of whom are also vocally anti press. My NUJ rep has had his house daubed  with paint saying "Photo Cop" by these idiots in the past. The opposite end of the spectrum was a strike at the old peoples home with a picket  line made up of the carers. Sweet old ladies being bullied by their greedy management, it was impossible not to engage with them.

I nearly always find the organiser of strike pickets and say  "Hello I'm James, I'm taking pictures for the papers". I'll also ask for their help in getting the strikers to stand in front of the factory sign to get the first picture, this one has a sense of place. This first set of pictures invariably has a lot of smiles and "say cheese" grins, no matter how horrible people are being treated by their employers they want to smile for the camera! Then I ask them to look serious. Sometimes this all happens naturally sometimes you have to prompt.  Once they know what you're doing you can wonder around and get the more candid shots. I completly agree that a cross protestor makes a better image than a smiling one, however they both sell, but to different buyers.  Alamy placed an image of a smiling picket at the Clarks factory to an HR magazine reporting a succesfull strike and scowling picket to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual report, same people different requirements.

 

Another thing to add to the shooting plan: if someone has brought their dog, it's a must, if the dog is wearing a protest banner, the picture buying Gods are smiling on you.

Taking children to environmental protests is very common around here. I think it's only polite to get some consent with children, usually I just smile at the parent and point to the camera and raise a thumb. the message is clear and appreciated, it's all you can do when people are marching past.

 

Too many good points raised by the forum but ones that were mentioned in older threads that I took to heart long ago are:

Write your IPTC before you go. Thank you Bridget.

Edit your submission down to a manageable amount of really good ones. Thank you John, Chuck and Edo, and many others.

Shoot Local sell Global. Thank you Keith and Bridget.

Insurance, I think alamy pointed that one out a long time ago but agree with Steve.

 

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by Mr Standfast
damn spelling

[Mr Standfast]

7 hours ago, sb photos said:

 

Where there are two protests with opposing views I try to cover both, and if possible with equal numbers of images uploaded. I last did this re an annual pro life and pro choice protest in London's Westminster.

 

 

My favouite "one that got away" protest was a few weeks ago. A big support Palestine march coming down Park Street and the Father Christmas on Motorbikes charity run going up Park Street.

 

Sigh!

[sooth]

.

Edited December 23, 2023 by sooth

[The Blinking Eye]

Okay, pals, I did another shoot tonight trying to work in your advice. I was able to get higher than the crowd by standing on cement benches in the back of the outdoor amphitheater which sloped downward toward the lake. It was extremely challenging as there was almost no light. Also, it was more of a spiritual ceremony. I was more conspicuous than at a loud, chaotic protest. I didn't want to disturb the somber mood so that limited my movement. It was very difficult to get anything in focus.

 

Let me know what you think.

 

https://www.alamy.com/news/#BHM=foo%3Dbar%26qt%3D%26pn%3D1%26ps%3D120%26aoa%3D%26news%3D1%26sports%3D%26entmt%3D%26Videos%3D%26bb%3D1%26md%3DOL24301587%26dt%3D%26gid%3D{60493829-879F-4DE7-BC8F-2156D11364FD}%26destxml%3D%26imglst%3D%26orderby%3DDT%26newsseq%3D%26userid%3D{8C460FB4-8E58-4C1A-9E28-91A6ACBE9190}%26rand%3D1703303838421

 

 

[The Blinking Eye]

22 hours ago, sb photos said:

Kristin, there's lots of valuable advice in this thread, so I'll only add a few items. I often carry a small monopod that I attach to a camera to gain height, higher than just holding a camera at arms length. Mine has a strap and clip attached, I will often clip it to my belt so I can easily access it. When elevated I fire the shutter via a cable often tilting the camera at different angles. this is also useful if there is a scrum around something of interest as you can shoot down and over heads. When shooting the head of a march I will if possible shoot the full width of the banner, then segments of it, then individual faces, even though at the time I might not know who the people are. Also I will stand, mostly stationary, in the centre of a march, shooting up close with a wide angle zoom as protesters walk past me. I will often elevate the camera by holding at arms length or via the monopod. If I see an interesting or controversial banner I will head for it, holding a camera high and saying excuse me, then move back to the centre of the road. Most important is having your IPTC info prepared in advance and leaving enough spare characters to describe what is in the individual photo. I currently use Photo Mechanic. Try not to shoot too many images as this will slow you down when culling. Always carry a laptop, mine are either a very light 12" or a 13", never a 15" as too heavy. Mine is always sleeping ready for use. Sometimes I also carry a fully charged power bank and USB-C cable for charging the laptop if it's going to be a busy day. I don't know what kit you carry, but 2 bodies with lenses attached makes life easier. In a crowd I will use 24-70 and 17-35mm lenses, other times likely a 24-70 and a 70-300 or 80-400. If shooting live news I'll edit and upload, usually by my phones hot spot, ASAP. Then there will be many other good images that I upload later that day as reportage, often editing during the 1 hour train journey back home from London. If I drive to cover an event and edit in the car, I use a small umbrella to shield my laptops screen from bright light. If wanting to upload news quickly and there is nowhere to shelter from direct light on the computer screen, I aways compare edited images to a 'gold standard' image kept on my desktop and adjust accordingly. Some time back when shooting a march I was walking/jogging backwards and trod on a march organisers foot, my apology was accepted. I've always had public liability insurance since then, at first for £3M, currently £5M.

 

Super professional. This gives me a really good idea of how you work! I like the notion of standing in the middle of the protest and shooting upward at protesters. The two cameras has come up before. I only have a humble Sony a6000 and I switch lenses a couple of times. I feel vulnerable shooting in Oakland and in San Francisco, so I keep it pretty basic. Lots of crime. I don't want to carry my laptop and risk losing it. Tonight I uploaded to Live News when I got home. It took two hours to get them into the feed.

[The Blinking Eye]

19 hours ago, BidC said:

 

I'm still learning, and fail a lot, but I can pretty much echo all this good advice (from Steve as well as all the others). I don't tend to carry a monopod (maybe I should, as climbing upwards with a heavy backpack is not easy ...). You can't be everywhere at once, so find a good spot and move once you've taken pictures you feel satisfied with.

 

Editing: I do some basic work, if needed. As Chuck says, the teams employed by news agencies can file much more rapidly, so I concentrate on trying to make sure I have decent images (OK - for anyone who now examines my portfolio, sometimes, in the rain for example, I don't manage quite what I would have liked).

A news picture may well have some imperfections. If a picture tells an important story and is really worth filing, then noise will not matter. Newspapers often use a smaller version of the picture, which also reduces imperfections. 

 

Capturing the mood of the protest is important. I do tend to introduce myself to smaller groups, as, to me, it otherwise feels impolite and intrusive.  And sometimes photos of smiling protesters do work (look at all the pictures of smiling junior doctors who are striking in the UK, for example. Personally I'm not sure why they do that, though perhaps i's to acknowledge public support. This is only my opinion).

 

And finally from a personal perspective, I try to balance costs. No point spending £50 on a fare to reap a $5 picture ...  - as has been said by one of the Alamy greats (now sadly deceased), something of national interest that is taking place locally not only reduces costs, but can illustrate how important the protest is throughout the country, even if you live in a 'small fry' town. 

 

Keep up the good work, Kirsten. You will get more of a feel for what works for you as time goes by.

You sound like you really enjoy the protest work. That in itself will be a great motivator for a great image.

 

Look at pictures that are bing used, and ask yourself how you could achieve that.

 

My two penneth, for what its worth .... 

Thank you!

[The Blinking Eye]

15 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

 

Hello,

 

Knowing if you should introduce yourself is one of those soft skills that are part of being a photographer. It depends on the event. At a Strike Picket it's eay and hard to avoid saying hello. At a protest, not so much. At a recent anarchist anti police riot which had all the potential to go wrong I just took pictures and didn't engage with any of the protestors. Many of whom are also vocally anti press. My NUJ rep has had his house daubed  with paint saying "Photo Cop" by these idiots in the past. The opposite end of the spectrum was a strike at the old peoples home with a picket  line made up of the carers. Sweet old ladies being bullied by their greedy management, it was impossible not to engage with them.

I nearly always find the organiser of strike pickets and say  "Hello I'm James, I'm taking pictures for the papers". I'll also ask for their help in getting the strikers to stand in front of the factory sign to get the first picture, this one has a sense of place. This first set of pictures invariably has a lot of smiles and "say cheese" grins, no matter how horrible people are being treated by their employers they want to smile for the camera! Then I ask them to look serious. Sometimes this all happens naturally sometimes you have to prompt.  Once they know what you're doing you can wonder around and get the more candid shots. I completly agree that a cross protestor makes a better image than a smiling one, however they both sell, but to different buyers.  Alamy placed an image of a smiling picket at the Clarks factory to an HR magazine reporting a succesfull strike and scowling picket to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual report, same people different requirements.

 

Another thing to add to the shooting plan: if someone has brought their dog, it's a must, if the dog is wearing a protest banner, the picture buying Gods are smiling on you.

Taking children to environmental protests is very common around here. I think it's only polite to get some consent with children, usually I just smile at the parent and point to the camera and raise a thumb. the message is clear and appreciated, it's all you can do when people are marching past.

 

Too many good points raised by the forum but ones that were mentioned in older threads that I took to heart long ago are:

Write your IPTC before you go. Thank you Bridget.

Edit your submission down to a manageable amount of really good ones. Thank you John, Chuck and Edo, and many others.

Shoot Local sell Global. Thank you Keith and Bridget.

Insurance, I think alamy pointed that one out a long time ago but agree with Steve.

 

 

Really great additions, thank you. The writing the IPTC beforehand is a GREAT tip. Having submitted to Live Feed only twice so far, that feels like a big slow down. Also, tonight, my camera gave all my photos the wrong date so I had to adjust each one. Need to fix the date on my camera!

[BidC]

20 hours ago, Mr Standfast said:

 

 

Hello,

 

Knowing if you should introduce yourself is one of those soft skills that are part of being a photographer. It depends on the event. At a Strike Picket it's eay and hard to avoid saying hello. At a protest, not so much. At a recent anarchist anti police riot which had all the potential to go wrong I just took pictures and didn't engage with any of the protestors. Many of whom are also vocally anti press. My NUJ rep has had his house daubed  with paint saying "Photo Cop" by these idiots in the past. The opposite end of the spectrum was a strike at the old peoples home with a picket  line made up of the carers. Sweet old ladies being bullied by their greedy management, it was impossible not to engage with them.

I nearly always find the organiser of strike pickets and say  "Hello I'm James, I'm taking pictures for the papers". I'll also ask for their help in getting the strikers to stand in front of the factory sign to get the first picture, this one has a sense of place. This first set of pictures invariably has a lot of smiles and "say cheese" grins, no matter how horrible people are being treated by their employers they want to smile for the camera! Then I ask them to look serious. Sometimes this all happens naturally sometimes you have to prompt.  Once they know what you're doing you can wonder around and get the more candid shots. I completly agree that a cross protestor makes a better image than a smiling one, however they both sell, but to different buyers.  Alamy placed an image of a smiling picket at the Clarks factory to an HR magazine reporting a succesfull strike and scowling picket to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual report, same people different requirements.

 

Another thing to add to the shooting plan: if someone has brought their dog, it's a must, if the dog is wearing a protest banner, the picture buying Gods are smiling on you.

Taking children to environmental protests is very common around here. I think it's only polite to get some consent with children, usually I just smile at the parent and point to the camera and raise a thumb. the message is clear and appreciated, it's all you can do when people are marching past.

 

Too many good points raised by the forum but ones that were mentioned in older threads that I took to heart long ago are:

Write your IPTC before you go. Thank you Bridget.

Edit your submission down to a manageable amount of really good ones. Thank you John, Chuck and Edo, and many others.

Shoot Local sell Global. Thank you Keith and Bridget.

Insurance, I think alamy pointed that one out a long time ago but agree with Steve.

 

 

 

Thank you James, how kind of you. Most of what I have learned has been from Ian Davidison (and Richard `Lincoln, who I don't think signs in to the forum), but also from many others here. I find it really useful to read through and take note

[BidC]

4 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

Really great additions, thank you. The writing the IPTC beforehand is a GREAT tip. Having submitted to Live Feed only twice so far, that feels like a big slow down. Also, tonight, my camera gave all my photos the wrong date so I had to adjust each one. Need to fix the date on my camera!

 

A lot of us tend to use Photomechanic for the first cull. And for writing the IPTC and keywords etc. PS are moving to the subscription model in the new year. An additional cost, but I'd say worth it.

 

I always feel a bit nervous carrying all my gear (and laptop), but I have a pretty decent backpack that would make opening and taking difficult. Make sure you have good insurance (for the cameras). And a harness to carry both cameras is very useful. 

 

The low light photos are great. You've used the available light well. 

Edited December 23, 2023 by BidC

[The Blinking Eye]

I'm mulling over the thought of introducing myself to people who I'm shooting. What a stance! I guess it's time to shake off the imposter syndrome.

[The Blinking Eye]

5 minutes ago, BidC said:

 

The low light photos are great. You've used the available light well. 

 

The ones I took tonight at the lake? Good to hear! The lack of light eliminated almost all options. So much of the scene was invisible. However, it felt good to accept the narrow focus, and end up with only seven keepers. Getting higher than the crowd made a huge difference!

[Steve F]

Kirstin, they look great!

2W900FT looks too blurred to me though.

Steve

[NYCat]

I like the photos. I think you might take a more neutral stance in the captions. Many people would say Israel is attacking Hamas and not trying to commit genocide against the people of Gaza.

 

Paulette

[IanDavidson]

57 minutes ago, NYCat said:

I like the photos. I think you might take a more neutral stance in the captions

This is really important.  Alamy has already sent a message to (some) live news photographers reminding them of the necessity of being neutral, at least in captions.  If you are seen to favour one side or another you are storing up trouble both for yourself and other photographers.  It may be that picture editors may not like your view?  I don’t know.
 

some will disagree with me, but some police services have arrested news photographers at demos if they think they are “connected” with the demonstrations.  In my experience in London some demonstrators dislike/hate news photographers as they see us as part of the main stream media with a biased agenda.  That is an agenda that does not side with them.  
 

I agree with the vast majority of comments.  I think the best advice, and this is from the late Keith Morris, is to study carefully what photographs the newspapers, websites etc tend to use and produce similar images.  Most publications have a house style, be aware of house styles while shooting.  
 

Being prepared as BidC said is important.  Prepopulate your title/captions.  Find out as much as you can about the protest before you go.  This should mean that better and more relevant pictures are taken.  Yes, always photograph dogs…
 

I also agree getting a local angle on a national news story is generally a good thing.  I undertook some detailed analysis of my sales and found, on average, local pictures made far more income than my national event coverage.  
 

As an aside, I do not tend to introduce myself when taking photos.  I pre visualise so I have a fair idea what I am going to take, move in and take those shots as quickly as possible, then step back and look for interesting storytelling shots.  Having said that most of my work is in London where people are used to news photography and second some may consider me to be a grumpy old man…

[Rebecca Ore]

1 hour ago, IanDavidson said:

This is really important.  Alamy has already sent a message to (some) live news photographers reminding them of the necessity of being neutral, at least in captions.  If you are seen to favour one side or another you are storing up trouble both for yourself and other photographers.  It may be that picture editors may not like your view?  I don’t know.

 

Reuters covered 2018 here in a very biased way.  Jinotega  Reuters photos didn't show arms on both sides until last year.   I suspect Reuters chose the anti-government photos first at a management level because the photographers did take the opposition guys with mortaros and guns at the same time period.    We had both peaceful demonstrations and riots here, two to five deaths depending on who you talk to, on both sides.

 

With the mess in on the east coast of the Med, I suspect that the situation is more complex than the claims by any side.   In most of these things (here, there), much of the population will wish both fighting sides to disappear.  60% of Nicaragua's population doesn't admit to supporting any political party.  They want to get on with improving their lives, and can do that if the country is at peace, who ever is in charge.  We have dengue in town.   The health department needs to be functional enough to get out with the fogging machines.

[Avpics]

There isn't a great deal that hasn't been covered, but a couple of small additions that may help: I'll be 'that guy' to be constructively critical of a few of your first page images, and suggest that the couple of images with an obstructed 'resistance to occupation......' placard lose their value without the text being fully visible, and also one 'body' where the only visible 'genocide' text is upside-down are images that you perhaps would now be aware to unlikely be published. In London you'll rarely see a snapper without a single-step folding stool strapped to their back, or under their feet. That additional 1 foot+ of height can make a huge difference in many situations. And speed. Although it's been said that we can't compete with those wire teams in hitting the news desks first, I've personally found it beneficial to make uploading early a priority. You can in many cases get some setting-up shots which tell the story of what is going to happen just as well as any you get once it starts. Also once the event is underway, if you believe that you've got a 'winner' step away and send it as it does seem to greatly improve its chances of being used. Although I hate missing out on anything which may happen when I've moved away, I try to remember that my purpose is to get an image published and that won't happen if it remains on my memory card until such a time as the news desks are swamped with everyone else's!

[sb photos]

9 hours ago, BidC said:

I always feel a bit nervous carrying all my gear (and laptop), but I have a pretty decent backpack that would make opening and taking difficult. Make sure you have good insurance (for the cameras). And a harness to carry both cameras is very useful. 

 

If anyone has concern re security of kit in a backpack there are, or were, some where the zips to open are in contact with your back when the backpack is worn. I remember a prolific author Jeanette Winterson who was wearing a backpack holding her Apple 12" PowerBook and standing in a crowd on a tube platform when she felt someone pulling the PowerBook out. It was dropped onto the platform and failed to function. I know this as later I worked into the evening undertaking a successful data recovery of the latest chapters of a new book. This was long ago when she used to live near Witney. If concerned, keep aware of what is happening around you.

[Gervais Montacute]

6 hours ago, Rebecca Ore said:

 

Reuters covered 2018 here in a very biased way.  Jinotega  Reuters photos didn't show arms on both sides until last year.   I suspect Reuters chose the anti-government photos first.

 

 

Reuters would. They're incredibly biased and that's why I don't pay any attention to anything that comes out of Reuters ever. Anymore than I do protest banners.

Edited December 23, 2023 by Gervais Montacute

[The Blinking Eye]

12 hours ago, NYCat said:

I like the photos. I think you might take a more neutral stance in the captions. Many people would say Israel is attacking Hamas and not trying to commit genocide against the people of Gaza.

 

Paulette

 

Thanks for bringing that up. Most people I know would say the opposite. I hear the word genocide so frequently on a daily/hourly basis that I thought it would be a searchable keyword.

[The Blinking Eye]

11 hours ago, IanDavidson said:

This is really important.  Alamy has already sent a message to (some) live news photographers reminding them of the necessity of being neutral, at least in captions.  If you are seen to favour one side or another you are storing up trouble both for yourself and other photographers.  It may be that picture editors may not like your view?  I don’t know.
 

some will disagree with me, but some police services have arrested news photographers at demos if they think they are “connected” with the demonstrations.  In my experience in London some demonstrators dislike/hate news photographers as they see us as part of the main stream media with a biased agenda.  That is an agenda that does not side with them.  
 

I agree with the vast majority of comments.  I think the best advice, and this is from the late Keith Morris, is to study carefully what photographs the newspapers, websites etc tend to use and produce similar images.  Most publications have a house style, be aware of house styles while shooting.  
 

Being prepared as BidC said is important.  Prepopulate your title/captions.  Find out as much as you can about the protest before you go.  This should mean that better and more relevant pictures are taken.  Yes, always photograph dogs…
 

I also agree getting a local angle on a national news story is generally a good thing.  I undertook some detailed analysis of my sales and found, on average, local pictures made far more income than my national event coverage.  
 

As an aside, I do not tend to introduce myself when taking photos.  I pre visualise so I have a fair idea what I am going to take, move in and take those shots as quickly as possible, then step back and look for interesting storytelling shots.  Having said that most of my work is in London where people are used to news photography and second some may consider me to be a grumpy old man…

 

I see I can edit the caption, thanks. I notice I can do that and add keywords in the usual way. Do you usually add keywords to Live News photos after they appear in the feed?*

 

Interesting about local angles! I'll have to put that into practice when I move back to Minneapolis (much quieter news-wise than San Francisco).

 

I noticed one of the crowd control volunteers was smiling and interested in what I was doing last night. It didn't occur to me to introduce myself! But he may have helped clear space for me or knew what was going to happen next or details about the speakers, etc.

 

Thanks for your comments!

 

*Actually, it looks like I can get into the edit window but can't save the edit, until maybe it moves to stock. Lesson learned about the caption!

Edited December 24, 2023 by The Blinking Eye
*see asterisk

[The Blinking Eye]

7 hours ago, Avpics said:

There isn't a great deal that hasn't been covered, but a couple of small additions that may help: I'll be 'that guy' to be constructively critical of a few of your first page images, and suggest that the couple of images with an obstructed 'resistance to occupation......' placard lose their value without the text being fully visible, and also one 'body' where the only visible 'genocide' text is upside-down are images that you perhaps would now be aware to unlikely be published. In London you'll rarely see a snapper without a single-step folding stool strapped to their back, or under their feet. That additional 1 foot+ of height can make a huge difference in many situations. And speed. Although it's been said that we can't compete with those wire teams in hitting the news desks first, I've personally found it beneficial to make uploading early a priority. You can in many cases get some setting-up shots which tell the story of what is going to happen just as well as any you get once it starts. Also once the event is underway, if you believe that you've got a 'winner' step away and send it as it does seem to greatly improve its chances of being used. Although I hate missing out on anything which may happen when I've moved away, I try to remember that my purpose is to get an image published and that won't happen if it remains on my memory card until such a time as the news desks are swamped with everyone else's!

 

This is excellent feedback about the placard and the upside down letters. I come from an art background, so I'm used to suggestion and letting the audience fill in the blanks to a high degree. So this is a line I'm not used to drawing, requiring more spoonfeeding and direct communication. I want to improve this and waste less energy uploading things that won't work.

 

Great feedback!!! Do you pull out a laptop on the street to do the upload?

 

While at the Google protest, I did a quick search and was amazed that the SF Chronicle published a story and article about it while I was still standing there taking photos. The photographer must have dived in, taken photos the moment it began, and sent them to the paper moments later. That was eye opening for me. No need to bother sticking around for more than a few minutes.