I have always found writing to be a difficult form of creative expression. It's effectively being vulnerable which is scary enough for most of us. But I decided to follow some advice that was given to me in one of my university writing courses…. "write about what you know". I can extend that to say write about what stokes your passion or what is close to your heart. These past few weeks have been difficult for me and for a lot of us. Personally, my writing and creative endeavors have had a bit of a block. The world went from the coronavirus lockdowns into racially fueled protest action. Well, who could have predicted all of this before the end of June? Certainly not me, and I make mathematical models sometimes.
The protests following the brutal death of George Floyd have been intense and prolonged. This is not the first such action, and I doubt that it will be the last. However, it feels a lot different this time. In fact, in a lot of ways, it seems to have been the proverbial straw that "broke the camel's back". I'm impressed that this triggered a global movement and at the same time, I'm sorry that it had to come to this. I've been on the edge of my seat seeing the protesters in every US state and places as far away as Japan, and New Zealand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. What a powerful statement...
And now, we are here, almost 3,000 miles away from the birthplace of the newest revolution. Barbados, like many countries, recently joined in the conversation with two Black Lives Matter marches. I don’t consider myself a street photographer but I felt that I should attempt to document this little snippet of history. I got the opportunity to cover the second march which advocated for the removal of the statue of Lord Horatio Nelson in Bridgetown. Some people believe it is a symbol of oppression and should be removed from Heroes Square. Others have argued about the historical value since the statue has stood in the capital for over 200 years. You can have your own thoughts on the matter.
My home country is a former British colony and is reckoning with its own past history of slavery and racism. I am no historian and certainly not an expert in social justice issues. So, I will happily yield the floor to those with more expertise than myself. What I am, is an observer and documentary photographer. My images will speak for themselves here. I applaud those standing up for justice and putting themselves on the front lines daily.
Making the Images
When I choose any project, I like to go all in. I purposely made sure that I did not stand out even if it was just a small, peaceful demonstration. So I dressed in a black T-shirt like the flyer said, along with dark track pants and sneakers. Long before leaving home, I decided on choosing one lens. My 50mm f1.8 was the natural option and off I went into town on a wet Saturday morning. I made a point to walk around for a few minutes and study the layout before I took out my camera. If there is a protest route, you might want to do this well ahead of time. And before you ask, I didn’t forget to wear to wear my mask and remain socially distant.
Post processing was easy since I shoot in RAW mostly. I love black and white, always have and always will. This was a great set to convert especially with a nice range of dark, moody tones. That day also gave some cloud cover and haze (the one plus side to the Sahara Dust phenomenon), which produced much softer light. And there you go. The rest is, as they say, history.
Camera and equipment details:
Camera: Nikon D7200
Lenses: Nikon 50mm F1.8 G Auto Focus-S
Lighting: Natural Light
Software: Adobe Premiere Elements
For anyone interested in further reading, please see the following resources:
Black Lives Matter website: https://blacklivesmatter.com/
Ways You Can Help Out: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Mental Health Resources: https://www.health.com/mind-body/black-mental-health-resources-to-fight-the-harmful-effects-of-racism
Street Photography Tips:
https://photographylife.com/street-photography-tips-for-beginners
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/street-photography-tips-tricks/
https://petapixel.com/2016/05/03/protest-photography-tips-capture-action-stay-safe/ https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-take-photos-at-protests/
