Snapshots In The Street

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Over the years I've taken a lot of photos at protests. Mostly I'm trying to document what's going on around me but I still end up with a bunch of shots that don't fit neatly with that.

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These are more snapshots of particular moments or scenes, things that grabbed my attention independent of the larger actions going on around me.

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You never know how people will react when they realize that you're snapping a photo of them in particular. One thing is for sure though, it's almost always interesting to see (and shoot).

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I'm all for avoiding catching preventable diseases but this guy just seems like a pretentious ass. Sometimes it's just people being people that you have to get a shot of.

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These photos are all from a rally and march that I went to in Washington DC last August. With all the people there it makes for a 'volatile proximity' that lends itself well to street photography.

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In instances like that you don't really have to look very hard for interesting things to shoot because you're surrounded by them. As I shoot at a protest I'm usually building a narrative in my head that helps to explain what I'm shooting as well as guiding what I choose to shoot. It's great for documenting events but is a bit of a handicap when it comes to noticing and capturing the 'snapshot moments'. They're usually only tangentially related to the narrative, it takes a bit of mental shifting of gears to focus on the more immediate stories surrounding you.

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Pretty sure that is Pete Seeger hiding behind that mask, thought he was dead. Guess old folkies don't die, they just protest all day.

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That's probably enough for one day. Anybody got a particular occasion or type of event that they like to do street photography at?

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Yes. I like to do street photography when the streets are empty of people and cars and full of crows.

Great shots!

Does that happen very often in non-apocalyptic times?

Thank ya!

Only in short bursts, usually late winter afternoons.

Also, when have time been non-apocalyptic lately?

I'm having trouble recalling the last time it was non-apocalyptic to be perfectly honest.

That old Pete Seeger dude looks like he's hiding a scythe or some other sort of weapon behind that sign of his. I wouldn't fuck with that one. !PIZZA

Right, you know he's Aunt Tifa for sure.