Riots

skiking

skiking

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Many nutters are on the streets of London (and now Birmingham) at the moment but has anyone gone out and tried to capture images of the incidents ?

I ask from a photographic point of view and not to inflame or glorify the 'people' involved. I came across a serious car accident a couple of weeks ago and had my camera with me and the thought crossed my mind to park up and photograph the aftermath but my conscious told me not to....but, as someone who takes photographs of all genres I regret the opportunity. I'm not interested of taking pictures of someones misery but capturing an event, especially people at 'work' sorting out the situation.

How do others react to these types of scenes - would you walk on or would your take pictures ?
 
At least one member has been out to take photo's, they can be found in the riot (sorry other thread) see the photo's by Demilion??? I think :shrug: they look great very atmospheric :thumbs:

Matt
MWHCVT
 
Heard a pro had a few grands worth of his gear snatched at the riots, got to be carefull out there.
 
I think you'd need to know the area, know the streets etc. Severals guys I know have taken shots of recent riots in Belfast - burning cars, riot police, water cannon etc. But they knew where to go and when to get out again.
 
If you're going out be careful, my brother had his backpack and iPhone snatched..
 
If you really are going out, a long lens would also be very handy... photograph it from a distance... a long distance.

Backpack snatches can happen any time though, as I know from being a victim myself.
 
I wouldn't unless you have experience covering such things.

You'll get your gear physically removed from you never to be seen again at best...
 
MWHCVT said:
At least one member has been out to take photo's, they can be found in the riot (sorry other thread) see the photo's by Demilion??? I think :shrug: they look great very atmospheric :thumbs:

Matt
MWHCVT
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Have you a link Mat I cant find them looked on the other thread about riots :thinking:
 
big soft moose said:
I agree but he doesnt have much choice with highly saleable shots - if he put them up unwatermarked some scrote at news international would have them on the front page gratis before you could say "copyright infringement"
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Yes I realise that thats why I watermark my images I think are worthy of nicking, wish id watermarked all my shots as Ive had 48 that I know of stolen and used on commercial sites
 
I think this is a different situation to protests/war/revolution, because there are usually clearly defined boundaries. Here we have groups of people, who are not fighting for any cause, they are simply destroying and stealing. They are of course also attacking the emergency services.
All in all, not a very healthy situation to be taking snaps in!
 
I think you'd have to be mad to go and shoot these riots if you're being paid, let alone doing it for nothing. It's not like a political protest where it's group X with ideal Y versus the police, it's all the criminals both petty and serious taking the opportunity to do whatever they want for a while because the police are completely overwhelmed.
There are loads of reports of people being mugged and beaten up regardless of who they are (people who can only walk with canes, press photographers, other "youths") or what they're carrying, waving an SLR around is a huge "please steal this" advert.

A car accident is a completely different situation though. I think I'd photograph the emergency services dealing with the accident or the wreckage once everyone had been removed from it but I'd avoid anything of victims, particularly anyone seriously injured, as it strikes me as a bit exploitative/voyeuristic.
 
I spoke with a good friend this morning from the Met who's been dealing with this the past two nights. He had to extricate a press tog and others from the rear of a shop that was in the process of being set alight. The press tog afterwards got chatting (friend us a togger too), the press tog who had covered both Iraq wars said this was one of the scariest things he'd tried to cover, as in war togging there are clearly defined boundries and the press arnt usually deliberately targeted by either force (if they do get hurt or killed it's usually collateral damage or by an American - his words!) but in London last night the press were fair game for petrol bombs and even machetes!
 
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I ran security briefings for professionals from an international news agency in South Africa last year - they were there to cover the FIFA 2010 event - and some of them reckoned riots can be more dangerous than covering wars. The go/no go areas aren't very clearly defined, you don't have military support, and they're very unpredictable. A friend of mine was killed covering "unrest" in SA too.
 
i toyed with the idea of going out and shooting in ealing, but far too risky, you can never see where things are coming from, and looking at videos from last night some were uncomfortably close to my house. Much easier to go out this morning and shoot the aftermaths. Don't normally get many hits on flickr account but as soon i posted on flickr i received (still recieving hits) 350 plus on each of my 16 photos! certainly a hot topic

The reporter/tog for my local paper had his gear nicked off him after being bundled to the floor!

have to be careful out there!
 
i was thinkin of popping over to manchester to see

but there's no reports/tweets of it going off in manchester anyway
 
I have heaps of sympathy for the people caught up in it through no fault of there own... how do they sleep at night? probably not.. yes heaps of sympathy for them..

But a photographer who puts his or her self in that position for monatory gain... no sympathy if anything happens to them or there equipment..

If your thinking of doing it because of some sort of adventure for your hobby... don't be so daft!
 
KIPAX said:
But a photographer who puts his or her self in that position for monatory gain... no sympathy if anything happens to them or there equipment..

If your thinking of doing it because of some sort of adventure for your hobby... don't be so daft!
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i think that the formers a little harsh - news photographers like demi put themselves out there so we know whats going on - I asked him about rates on the other thread and apparently the nationals just pay their standard rate - so its not like the risk is really justified by the reward - these guys are pros doing a dirty job and deserve respect

on the latter point i agree completely - if you arent a pro you have no buisness taking a camera onto those streets.
 
big soft moose said:
i think that the formers a little harsh - news photographers like demi put themselves out there so we know whats going on - I asked him about rates on the other thread and apparently the nationals just pay their standard rate - so its not like the risk is really justified by the reward - these guys are pros doing a dirty job and deserve respect.
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eh? whats it got to do with respect?

he has a choice.. much as i like the guy.. if he goes into a riot situation and gets mugged then that really is his own fault.. and are you seriously suggesting he is risking harm to himself and equipment for our benefit? is he a saint? hes doing it because he wants to do it or for pay or both...if he didnt want to do it then he wouldnt..
 
Lots of photographers being targeted out there. DemiLion is a professional, this is his career, and knows the score and probably other press photographers to work with/around for safety - be safe guys, this isn't like the student protests. Harsh, harsh and very rapidly changing conditions.

The fact that on the first 2 nights, the pro media was accused of a blackout, when actually, they just couldn't keep up, shows how hard and difficult to work in these riots are.


As for professionals... there will always be people prepared to take the risks. That's why war photographers exist. They are often trained (hostile environments training etc) and certainly tonight, I know of several smudgers going out in groups for safety. Last night, several were using very stripped down setups - one camera one lens, very discrete - to blend in.
 
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KIPAX said:
eh? whats it got to do with respect?

he has a choice.. much as i like the guy.. if he goes into a riot situation and gets mugged then that really is his own fault.. and are you seriously suggesting he is risking harm to himself and equipment for our benefit? is he a saint? hes doing it because he wants to do it or for pay or both...if he didnt want to do it then he wouldnt..
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i'm saying that he's doing it because its his job , not because he's seeking glory or cash - certainly he must have known the risks going in , but to claiming its his fault if something bad happens :cuckoo:

you could just as much say that about a cop who gets injured policing the riots - well he didnt have to be a cop, so its his fault :suspect:
 
big soft moose said:
i'm saying that he's doing it because its his job , not because he's seeking glory or cash - certainly he must have known the risks going in , but to claiming its his fault if something bad happens :cuckoo:
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I NEVER SAID IT WAS OR WOULD BE HIS FAULT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS so please dont put words into my mouth :(

Try reading my posts properly before getting all high and mighty on me :(

The fault would be on the poeple doing it.. not the person having it done to for crying out loud:(.. I am saying he and anyone else has a choice.. they know the score and they make that choice when they put themselves in the situation..... Unlike the people living there who got caught up in it.

For pitys sake :(
 
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KIPAX said:
eh? whats it got to do with respect?

he has a choice.. much as i like the guy.. if he goes into a riot situation and gets mugged then that really is his own fault.. and are you seriously suggesting he is risking harm to himself and equipment for our benefit? is he a saint? hes doing it because he wants to do it or for pay or both...if he didnt want to do it then he wouldnt..
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Err yes you did.
 
KIPAX said:
I NEVER SAID IT WAS OR WOULD BE HIS FAULT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS so please dont put words into my mouth :(
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yes you did, you said precicely that

KIPAX said:
much as i like the guy.. if he goes into a riot situation and gets mugged then that really is his own fault
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Pro or not. I'm sure everyone does it for their own reasons, whether it's monetary or not. And I bet in most instances, money has little to do with it. I mean let's face it, there's easier ways if you want to makes some quick cash. Glass collecting, perhaps?

For a lot of people, I'm sure it's a bit of excitement. And then there's the hunger. The stuff that is often dwindling in seasoned pros having lived the life for years. The want for more.

If you want to go out and do it. Do it. But take some common sense with you.

And no, you wouldn't catch me out there :)
 
KIPAX said:
I have heaps of sympathy for the people caught up in it through no fault of there own... how do they sleep at night? probably not.. yes heaps of sympathy for them..

But a photographer who puts his or her self in that position for monatory gain... no sympathy if anything happens to them or there equipment..

If your thinking of doing it because of some sort of adventure for your hobby... don't be so daft!
Click to expand...

:clap:
Well said, there are some things best left alone.
 
Hmmmm....after all that I think I'll stick to landscapes with the odd excitement of street photography in the sleepy villages ;-)
 
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