[Leica] Photographing anarchists (and others)

[Mark Langer <mlanger@ccs.carleton.ca>]

> Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 10:55:54 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Kyle Cassidy <cassidy@netaxs.com>
> Subject: [Leica] photographing anarchists (was re: quebec)
> Message-ID: <200104241455.KAA22655@unix3.netaxs.com>
> References: 
> 
> mark commented about photographing in riots:
> 
> > 4) The demonstators dressed in black and carrying gasmasks are not
> >    likely to have a positive attitude towards the idea of being subjects
> >    of your camera.
> 
> this is not necessarily true. it has a lot to do with your attitude as a
> photographer. when photographing the folks in black with the gasmasks,
> what you absolutely need to do is get to know them first. they're not
> satanists. go introduce yourself, say who you are and what you're doing,
> give them a business card. knowing someone on the inside can't be
> overestimated -- your new friends will introduce you to their other
> friends, and before you know it, someone says "we're storming the bastille
> at noon, come with us." and find them the day before all hell breaks loose
> - -- GET YOURSELF A GUIDE.
> 

Kyle,

This is all very useful, but you also have to keep in mind the "look" of
the photographer, and by "look" I don't mean gaze.  While I am assured
that you have the appearance of a photo hipster, I, on the other hand, have
the beefy appearance of a middle-aged cop trying to blend in with the
protesters.  Short of massive reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, I don't
think there is anything that is going to give me the appearance suitable to
the task.  On the other hand, I was able to join union crowds and the
procession of the Communist Party of Canada and blend right in, as
rumpled, middle-aged types are thick on the ground there.  Got some
great pics of the hammer and sickle banner flying in the wind.  We all
take advantage of the characteristics the gods have given us.

More below.


>   http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/paw/2001/16/imc3.jpg
> 
> i photographed the Black Bloc this sunday in D.C.. I made a bunch of
> friends (and then when my photos got picked up by Indymedia I got a bunch 
> of email from all over the country, so now I have MORE friends -- weird
> that one). I'm actually thinking it would be a worthwhile project
> to drag some studio lights down and do a whole series of portraits of
> anarchists in masks.
> 
> These people definately don't mind being photographed by journalists --
> they just want to be sure you're not a law enforcement officer trying to
> find out who they are. 

Since the only thing visually differentiating me from a law enforcement
officer (at least now that I've just had my annual haircut) is the lack of
a pistol bulge under my jacket, I can't count on this.  

> They are also tired of people hanging back fifty
> feet, furritively shooting with a telephoto and then scurrying away --
> when I was down there that happened all afternoon, after about four hours,
> _I_ was getting sick of it.
> 

I am too, and that is why I eschewed my usual vintage Leica gear.  I brought
two cameras, realizing that I would be operating in the midst of a crowd --
one was a Contax TVS set at panoramic (with a 28mm-58mm zoom) and the other
an Olympus XA w. 35mm lens.  These are not the kind of cameras that let you
furtively photograph from the margins of the crowd.  I was there primarily
to add my voice to the others in protest, and only secondarily as a
photographer.  I have a great deal of contempt for the rabbits with long
lenses who timidly photographed events from a safe distance.  As far as
I'm concerned, they are the ones who should be water cannoned and gassed.

Most of my photos were of the thousands of ordinary people -- students,
children, the elderly, people in wheelchairs and all the other similar
threats to the state and public order who were repeatedly teargassed in
Quebec for orderly marching nowhere near the wall.


> Also, during the Philly RNC protests, Lugger Tim Carrol, who was crashing
> at my house at the time, covering the event for an Ohio paper, talked his
> way, fairly easily, into the anarchist stronghold and photographed them
> constructing various seige engines (well, puppets).


There were plenty of giant puppets among those who weren't storming the
wall.  While my sympathies are with the people who constructed seige
catapults to lob teddy bears over the wall (and got water cannoned, tear
gassed, beaten and arrested for doing so) I was with the other
demonstrators.  Perhaps not a situtation consistent with getting the most
dramatic photos, but one better suited for this big sissy. 


 >  > Remember kids: PHOTOGRAPH WITH
YOUR MOUTH AS WELL AS YOUR CAMERA. > 
> my advice for the week.

Unless you mean that I should install a micro spy camera in a false tooth, I
haven't got a clue what this means!

Anyway, having received my prints back, I find that I am surprised to see
how nice the prints are in panoramic mode from the Contax TVS.  But since
the panoramic mode is achieved by masking down the image, the
magnification needed to get a decent print is considerably larger than
what I am used to.  I was using Fuji Superia 400, and find that in some
shots the grain was more prominent than I would like.  A reasonably fast
film is necessary, since the lens on the Contax has a maximum aperture
that varies from between f3.5 and f6.5.  Can anyone give me advice on the
finest grained colour negative film of about that speed?

Mark


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Mark Langer

Email address: mlanger@ccs.carleton.ca
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