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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Should I stay or should I go
Rob Dicker, Photographer
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Lake Villa | IL | USA | Posted: 8:11 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> Today while heading back to my office, I got a call diverting me to a cover a protest which supposedly included an effigy of President Obama sporting a Hitler moustache. Not to get political but I found my blood starting to boil as I headed to the scene. When I pulled up I found two people with a few signs, no effigy, but they did have a big poster of Obama with a penciled in moustache. As I walked up, I saw that these where two members of the LaRouche Party. Immediately, the pair started hurling colorfully worded anti-media slurs and expletives at me. I began to shoot while continuing to walk toward them. I stopped a few times to shoot and then ended up within 5 to 10 feet of them and then started to shoot wide. The male of the pair, which turned out to be the woman's husband took out a pamphlet, opened it and started towards me holding it up to block me from shooting. I decided to play a little cat and mouse with them as I attempted to get the images I was assigned to get. A group of 14 and 15 year olds walked over, smiled at me and started to debate the pair. I double checked with my assignment editor and got permission to shoot as much as I want (and got the go ahead to have some fun).
When the man took out his phone and threatened to call the police if I didn't stop taking their picture, I had to laugh. After a few minutes, the police did show up, since he did place the call and then hung up.
The police asked me to back away while they talked to the pair, and I did so. One of the officers said they would be over to talk to me shortly. I made some more photos and after about 20 minutes the cops left without talking to me. I shot for a few more minutes and then left.
Should I have stayed or should I have left when they got confrontational? I have to say that being Jewish, when I hear or see someone drawing a Hitler moustache on President Obama or anyone else and calling then a Nazi, I do get upset. I lost many distant relatives in the concentration camps and on the death marches. The Shoah or Holocaust should never be used as a political tool. Everyone has heard the saying “it’s like yelling fire in a crowded theater”, this is very similar.
I might have let me personal feeling get in the way of my objectivity today. In some ways it is very difficult to separate what I am and who I am from what I do. |
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Dave Doonan, Photographer
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Kingston | TN | USA | Posted: 8:34 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> Shoot the assignment, leave your emotions in the car. As a photojournalist you are the eyes to your community, you let them formulate their own opinion. I think they would have pissed me off too, but you cannot let that affect your job. |
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Nic Coury, Photographer
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Monterey | CA | | Posted: 8:36 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> I saw similar Larouche-ians at a recent, local health care reform town hall meeting with our rep, Sam Farr. It was absurd.
In a following editorial, someone commented how ridiculous it is to use Hitler mustaches on Obama and how it wasn't necessary to argue their side.
When I shot it, I tended to stay away from the folks, mostly Larouche-ians, "acting up" for the camera. I felt like it wasn't because they cared about their side, but only acted up in front of the cameras (other papers and television stations were there too).
If they decide to call the police, it's their prerogative. You did nothing to initiate it, although they will argue you did.
I never let me opinions on stuff come out during my work in public and get the CYA shots and then head out.
Probably your best bet is just to keep a straight face, shoot away, then jet.
Just my 2 cents...
~ nic |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 9:26 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> If you go there will be trouble, if you stay it will be double.... |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 9:39 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> rob, I've been to a couple of those rallies and WE (the media) are the enemy to these people. As much as I wanted to jack someone up for all the name calling they were doing to me I didn't. No one had the balls to threaten and call the police because the cops were there and they KNEW it was a public street and no one could stop me from taking photos. One of my co-workers went to a rally and these people were giving her shit and she politely turned to this older woman and said, "Excuse me but have I called you any names?" I'm just doing my job, you don't know me and you're acting like this?" The woman got extremely embarrassed as did all the people around her...and shut up. Now, that said, I'm sure if I would have said that it would have caused a damn riot. Stand your ground, make your photos but don't interact with any of the protesters. You CANNOT I repeat CANNOT win if you get in an argument. (PS: See my member page for a "nice" photo of a "lady" with a sign at one of the rallies) |
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Luke Sharrett, Student/Intern
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Forest | VA | United States | Posted: 9:46 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> Generally, folks at protests are there to be seen. I think as a journalist you have an obligation to snap a few photos, but at some point you have to draw the line, or else you risk becoming their mouthpiece. If seeing Obama compared to Hitler was offensive to you, I hope you never had to cover any anti-war protests during the past 8 years. Here's a great article that was posted a few days ago about some New York Times shooters and their approach to shooting in these situations: http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/q_a_the_new_york_timess_damon.php?page=all |
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Rob Dicker, Photographer
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Lake Villa | IL | USA | Posted: 10:14 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> Actually, I've covered protests dating back to the Nazi and KKK rallies in Skokie, Oak Park, Berwyn and Chicago dating back to the late 70's. Add to that anti-war, pro war, anti-Soviet and so on and so forth. I guess the problem is there was no action, I was the only "bad guy" there, it was a slow day, and they were just so damn dumb. We're not talking (I hate) Illinois Nazi - dumb or ditto head dumb, we're talking make no sense, I lost way too many brain cells in the past dumb.
I really said nothing the whole time other than "I have the legal right to take photos on public property. The only way that I eegged them on was to do my job and not back away when they blocked my lens. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 10:25 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> Luke, I have to disagree with you vehemently.
your statement:
"I think as a journalist you have an obligation to snap a few photos, but at some point you have to draw the line, or else you risk becoming their mouthpiece."
is just plain wrong. As a journalist YOU don't draw the line. Risk becoming their mouthpiece? So how do YOU make that assessment? In both instances, pro and con. So the President is holding a rally and you're covering it. At what point do YOU decide you're being his "mouthpiece"? Do you stop shooting photos at a rally because you decided you had "snapped" enough photos? You leave and there's a riot? Ooops! That is just plain BAD advice. |
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David Bailey, Photographer
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Flower Mound | TX | USA | Posted: 10:37 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> You handle the assignment regardless of your feelings. I covered protests at the Bush ranch for 2 weeks and while I wasn't necessarily supportive of the protestors, I made the best of it, had fun and shot a lot of photos. Even got shots of heated debates on both sides of the issues.
I'm just there to capture what I see and collect facts. I'm not going to be a mouthpiece for anyone, whether I support them or not. |
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Luke Sharrett, Student/Intern
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Forest | VA | United States | Posted: 11:04 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> Chuck, what I said was probably too broad. I wouldn't put it past myself to inadvertently give bad advice. I'm young and not as experienced as most members of this community, but my statement was based on my experiences thus far. Last summer I covered an Amnesty International protest on the National Mall in DC. AI activists had dressed up as Guantanamo detainees and one of the national AI leaders was giving a speech about the organizations desire to see Guantanamo Bay closed. I was pretty wrapped up in my shooting, but about halfway through it hit me that the only people at the demonstration was the media. It was basically all a show for the cameras. I really couldn't help but feel like I was being used. I stayed the whole time, and made the pictures I needed to make, but a photojournalist should know what's news, and what's not. I don't think its fair to suggest that a pair of inflammatory sign-toting activists (in Rob's case) deserve the same level of coverage as the President. |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 11:31 PM on 08.17.09 |
->> You woke up and got in your car. Already, you've broken the Heisenberg Principle. You might as well see it through, the day is shot. So shoot and shoot well.
Isn't it fantastic we live in a country that we can draw Hitler mustaches on Obama and wipe our butts with the flag? Morally, I could do neither, but I love I can live in a country where I can document people who can, who do, and have only their sober realization to punish them the next day of what an ass they are by my professionally produced photograph.
Thank you Benjamin, George, John, and Thomas. Thank you. I will always keep your photos in my wallet... when I can afford you. |
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Jon L Hendricks, Photographer
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Hobart | IN | USA | Posted: 11:35 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> Use your 70-200. Stay back far enough but you'll still get pics of them being idiots. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 11:59 PM on 08.17.09 |
| ->> Luke,if you are fortunate enough to get a full time job in this great and glorious trade you will find that many events we cover are for "us". It comes with the territory, we get "used" all the time. But, my friend, you have to take all that into consideration before deciding to become a working photojournalist. Every single press conference and event we cover is NOT for the public. It is staged for the media, albeit, most of the time the people staging these things are pretty clueless about the visuals but that's a whole 'nother thread! So what you do is cover the event. Our paper stresses at really "staged" events to look for the quiet moments on the peripheral edges. That is often where your photo will come from. But the bottom line is you gotta cover the event and bring back a selection for the editors to pick from. |
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