The Palestine protest marches continue weekly through the streets of Melbourne, each with the same routine, the same speeches, and the same conflict with police. I doubt they will cease any time soon.
Each time I attend, I try to focus on the participants, looking for faces, emotion, and connection. I do like how the woman in the orange scarf stands out from the crowd, and the contrasts between her and the young woman with purple hair. These women are all holding out an enormous sheet representing the Palestine scarves they all wear.
Taken on Olympus EM1MK2 with Olympus 12-100mm lens @ 75mm
F4, SS 1/1000th sec, ISO 2000.
I am aware that these might be ‘overkill’ settings, but this is pretty routine for me where the conditions change rapidly, and I want to ensure that I get sharp images. There is always Topaz denoise to remove any excess digital noise.
Minimal processing, just some cropping and denoise.
6 comments posted
Leslie Larson
Melbourne sure looks like a great place for street shots. The colors and focus on the marchers is good. I agree the contrast with the lady (framed in white) and the purple hair make a good story. Glad you explained about the white cloth, otherwise it makes little sense for them to be carrying it.
I like the lady in full head gear on the right with only her eyes showing. The pink baby stands out too. Posted: 02/08/2025 17:56:22
Jen Fawkes
Thanks Leslie, I've been to a few of the Palestine protests now. Melbourne does have some good 'marches' and I have my favourite spots to stand and wait for the right moment. Posted: 02/13/2025 15:38:02
Ron Davis
Hi Jen. A very full-on photo capturing a range of people at a meeting. You have said they were protesting but the photo does not really show this they could even be at a soccer match holding up a banner for their supported team, perhaps Iran? This element of not the obvious makes the photo interesting to a viewer, why are they there? Because the photo has a vagueness about it, it creates a timelessness it could have been taken 60 years ago, nothing has changed in the Middle East.
Your settings on the camera are interesting, you have the lens very wide open F4, some schools of thought may say to set lens aperture at f8-10 this will enable focusing much easier for speed photography and street photography which this photo is, may capture better something or body in the back ground. During film days a team of photogs in New York would wear a big coat with camera in inside pocket use 28mm prime lens set it to f8 and all you have to do is pull the camera out and shoot quickly no settings to adjust. This was quick action fast almost hunting with a rifle photography to capture those moments we see but miss because we think too much about what we do. Posted: 02/10/2025 19:13:59
Jen Fawkes
Thanks Ron, shutter speed is more important for me when I'm out doing the protest marches. Everything happens so quickly that I generally set and forget (up the ISO, make sure I have enough shutter speed and accept whatever the aperture!) I've done quite a few of the Palestine marches, so I've narrowed it down to looking for particular subjects so f4 - f5.6 is what I want to isolate a subject. I do agree that some signage or protest posters would really help here. Posted: 02/13/2025 15:40:50
Tom Brott
Nice shot and a good choice of the front row ladies to highlight your story. Your description of the cloth in the foreground help to understand what is happening. The next level of gentlemen tend to indicate that there is something happening off to the side. I have to agree with you presetting your camera for the quick action that can happen at any moment.
I do the same in presetting my camera for nature images as things tend to happen quickly. I have not had the opportunity to use presettings in people settings but have to keep this in mind. Posted: 02/15/2025 14:56:05
Muthoni Ngatia
I also like how the eye is immediately drawn to the lady with the orange scarf and the emotion in her face in contrast with everyone elses. I also like how the colour white carries through the shot. Posted: 02/21/2025 08:44:43
