Protest in Washington D.C.

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Protest in Washington D.C.

October 12, 2016 by Mike Powell

Last Friday about 5:30 pm I was in the Georgetown area of Washington D.C. right at the time when a small group of protesters caused M Street to be closed by sitting in middle of the lane heading toward Key Bridge, one of only a few bridges linking the capital city with Virginia. Here are a few shots of the protesters and the police.

Readers who follow my blog know that I am not used to this kind of photography and I wasn’t really sure how to approach the subject. Roads and intersections were blocked off with yellow tape, preventing me from getting good angles for the shots. It was a small group of protesters and they looked to be of college age, prompting me to wonder if they were from nearby Georgetown University. All varieties of policemen were present to control the crowd and direct traffic onto side streets—there were bicycle cops and motorcycle cops in addition to the expected police squad cars.

I was happy that I happened to have my Canon SX50 superzoom with me, because the zoomed allowed me to frame some shots differently without having to move around a lot. In the end I chose three shots to post that captured different aspects of protest, mostly focusing on the human element.

Posted in people, Photography, Urban | Tagged Black Lives Matter, Canon SX50, Georgetown, Georgetown University, police, protest, Washington D.C. | 8 Comments

8 Responses

on October 12, 2016 at 6:17 am | Reply Victor Rakmil

Being in the right place is a good start for photojournalism. Your shots are great and speak for themselves.
- on October 12, 2016 at 6:22 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Victor, for your encouraging words. I like trying new types of photography and the discomfort I feel probably is a good thing–it means I am growing.
on October 12, 2016 at 7:07 am | Reply Dan Antion

Slightly different wildlife today 🙂

I never quite know how to take photos of crowds, or whether someond will object. I like these.
- on October 13, 2016 at 6:51 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think our views and concerns about photographing people in public are very similar. I like the thought of street photography, but feel inhibited most of the time in taking photos of strangers, even at a distance.
on October 12, 2016 at 4:25 pm | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

This is definitely a departure for you but you did a great job with recording the scene.
- on October 13, 2016 at 6:47 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Laura. Although most of my shots on this blog are wildlife-oriented, I occasionally venture into other areas as I explore my photography.
on October 12, 2016 at 7:44 pm | Reply Bella Remy Photography

You did awesome documenting this human event. Funny how it this didn’t hit the news really. Great shots.
- on October 12, 2016 at 10:35 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Emily. It was a major disruption to rush hour traffic, but I didn’t see any mention of it in the printed or on-line news. I guess the news threshold is high for DC.