Help me pick a protest shot

1pocket · November 9, 2007

I'll try this here, since it is sort of photojournalism. I am trying to pick one of three similar shots, in the mold of Robert Frank, The Americans
These were shot at a Hillary Clinton rally.

#1

#2

#3

colfragless · November 9, 2007

I kie Shot #1 the best it appeals to me.... I think you can really tell that you are at a protest in that shot.... the other 2 not so much..... ~Sparky~

Beeze · November 9, 2007

#1 says the most to me. The cowgirl is too much of a distraction in #3. #2 is okay but does not deliver the same message as #1.

Nice shots.

RLJ

Nacho · November 9, 2007

I spend time looking for such shots, and I agree, #1 is the best. Do you have a few others from the opposite direction?

Thanks,

N

1pocket · November 9, 2007

Nacho wrote:

I spend time looking for such shots, and I agree, #1 is the best. Do you have a few others from the opposite direction?

Thanks,

N

I have a bunch more, from all different directions

I put about twenty up on Smugmug:
http://sbooth.smugmug.com/gallery/3781404

I tried shooting Raw this time, and doing the b&w conversion by desaturating within the Raw opening window... I haven't converted that many to b&w,

but here's another angle...

broby6 · November 9, 2007

The faces seem to me to be the key feature and #1 has the woman looking the other way. I agree with Breeze - the cowgirl in #3 isn't engaged in the conversation. In #2 there is a serious dialog going, and I don't think the man is buying it. Maybe cropping similar to #1 would give it more power. Anyway #2 gets my vote. Interesting shots.

Dogdots · November 10, 2007

Number 2---I like the look on the mans face.

GraphyFotoz · November 11, 2007

broby6 wrote:

The faces seem to me to be the key feature and #1 has the woman looking the other way. I agree with Breeze - the cowgirl in #3 isn't engaged in the conversation. In #2 there is a serious dialog going, and I don't think the man is buying it. Maybe cropping similar to #1 would give it more power. Anyway #2 gets my vote. Interesting shots.

Richard · November 11, 2007

I agree about the cowgirl in #3. I guess I like #1 the best. I would have liked to see what's on the signs.

Cheers,

1pocket · November 11, 2007

rsinmadrid wrote:

I agree about the cowgirl in #3. I guess I like #1 the best. I would have liked to see what's on the signs.

Cheers,

Here are a couple from a different vantage...

and another that I did a b&w conversion on

Richard · November 11, 2007

1pocket wrote:

Here are a couple from a different vantage...

That color one is my favorite by far. Cops, signs...great shot.

clap

alexL · November 11, 2007

#2 for me. Clear focus on the guy who is sceptical, flag and fences in the background, nice
/Alex

1pocket · November 12, 2007

Thanks for your input, all. Interesting I did a much heavier crop on shot #2, which several of you responded to -- spot on!

This is the full frame original color version of #2:

Any comments on the quality of my b&w conversions -- or suggestions to improve that aspect? I'm using one of these for a class assignemnt, in emulation of Robert Frank's The Americans, which of course was b&w

Here's the b&w version again for your convenience...

Dogdots · November 12, 2007

Oh yeah....the cropped BW

PwF · November 17, 2007

I would use this image.
The first ones are sort of useless since they show nothing about what the protest is about, so what use is that?
The last one is just too contasty although it is a good comp.
This one is a perect exp. and good comp.

For future shots, get more faces in the shot, ones that show emotion and are not hiddeen behind a sign, and include the people they are confronting. You can see cops in this, but they are looking the other way and most of them are in the dark. Study past images of this type and note what they show and then just follow that. Most of all, move around a lot and shoot a lot! Don't just wait until something looks good. You will probably have missed it by then.

JenGrace · November 17, 2007

I like number 2...there's no one else in the background and the guy looks almost menacing.

Help me pick a protest shot

Comments