Getting Good Photographs of Your COVID-Era Car Protest
A quick guide to socially-distanced, visually-popping protests for both organizers and photographers
As the coronavirus rips through our communities, it has become apparent that while we need to stay safe, we can’t stay silent. The state has abandoned the most vulnerable among us — our incarcerated, detained, and unhoused relatives. And the forces of “coronavirus capitalism,” as Naomi Klein calls it, are using the shock and seclusion of this moment to advance previously unthinkable and utterly predatory agendas.
People all over the country are taking to the streets — in cars.
I’ve photographed a dozen of these “car protests” in the last month — caravans calling for the release of those held in jails and detention centers, demanding cities make empty hotel rooms available to our unhoused siblings, and calling for justice after the police murder of yet another black man in our community.
In response, I’ve received a barrage of messages from (a) photographers asking for advice on capturing car protests, and (b) organizers seeking guidance on maximizing their visual presence during these new, mobile mobilizations. After a little prodding — and a lot of procrastination — I’ve written up my notes to share here. Some recommendations are for protest organizers, others are for photographers.
FOR ORGANIZERS AND PARTICIPANTS
- Coordinate with photographers and videographers
If you have a trusted relationship with photographers in your community, reach out to them. Ask if they plan to attend and what information or support they’d need to get good shots. If your organization has resources, hire a photographer and bring them into the action planning from the beginning.
2. Choose a route with stopping points that tell a visual story
Choose a caravan route that passes buildings or landmarks whose signage, paired with the caravan, tells a visual story about what’s happening and why it’s important — for instance, pass the sign that says “Police Department” or “Walmart.” Anticipating that your caravan will inevitably get backed up, plan for that to happen in front of that target, or in high-visibility areas like a busy downtown. If it’s safe to do so, stop at that target and have participants stand next to, or sit on top of, their cars.
3. Make big, clear, and compelling visuals
Since photographers are shooting fast-moving vehicles from a distance, signs should be twice as big and contain half as many words as you think are necessary. Write with thick lettering in contrasting colors, especially black (light colors wash out at a distance). Place signs on the outside of car windows (if placed inside, the window’s reflection becomes distracting). Painters tape and washable paint markers can be used to spell out messages directly on windows too. Attach signs to both sides of cars. You don’t have to limit yourself to the windows — large signs that take up entire car doors or hoods are great. Consider incorporating props, like this protest that attached tents and sleeping bags to cars. Make sure that the first 4-5 cars are well-decorated (the way you’d line up banners at the front of a march). If you’ll have news helicopters, write messages on top of cars.
4. Give participants instructions to maximize their visual impact
Ask participants who feel comfortable doing so to lower their windows to make their faces visible. If they’re not driving (or if they’re in a safe place to stop), have them stick their signs, heads, or fists out their windows or sunroofs. Request that protestors keep masks on at all times — for their own protection, but also to show that you’re taking safety seriously. Communicate these requests on the event page, group text thread, or over a bullhorn.
FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
5. Learn the route and scout it in advance
Learn the route and scout it in advance. Look for places where you’ll be able to get a wider or higher shot. If you’re driving yourself, is there a place you can safely park your car at various stopping points to be able to shoot on foot? If the action is coordinating cars by group text thread, conference call line, or radio broadcast, tune into that for minute-to-minute updates.
6. Recruit someone to drive for you, but be prepared to run
If possible, have someone or who is already in your household or germ pod drive you. This way, you can ride along during the longer stretches, but be able to jump out of the car to photograph on foot when the traffic slows or when the caravan circles around a particular location. Having two cars so that you can leapfrog sections of the caravan could be especially useful. Wear shoes you can run in.
7. Focus on emotion, ask people to bring their faces toward the window
In regular protests, we aim to get both wide shots that communicate the scale of the action and more intimate shots that capture participants’ emotions. Unless you have a drone or a tall building to shoot from, it’s hard to get more than 4-5 cars in the frame. So get whatever wide shot you can, but then focus on individual participants. If the caravan is stopped and you’re able to communicate with participants, ask them to bring their faces toward — or even outside — the window to get them out of the shadows and to hold their signs out the window, or even open their car door briefly. It’s simple, but this is the one thing that has made the most dramatic difference in my photos.
8. Protect your subjects, avoid license plates
I strive to photograph in a way that respects the consent of those photographed (a challenging topic deserving of its own essay someday). However, the unique and complicating element that car protests add is license plates, which make it easier to identify participants who may not wish to be identified. Try to exclude license plates from your photos when possible.
9. Protect yourself
Wear a mask at all times. Bring a zoom lens so that you can stay 6+ ft away from your subjects. If you have a press pass, wear it. While it’s no guarantee, a press pass can be helpful in negotiating with police over your ability to shoot in the street. Be very careful shooting in traffic — protestors and passersby alike are distracted and not looking out for you. Use earplugs to protect your ears from all the honking. Bring wipes to disinfect your hands, camera, keys, car dash, and anything else you may have touched before returning home.
10. Pay attention to shutter speed
Fast shutter speeds will stop motion (useful for reading protest signs), and slower shutter speeds will blur motion (making it clear cars were in motion, not just parked). Shooting on manual, or on shutter speed priority, is helpful.
This is in no way meant as a comprehensive guide, nor will all suggestions be applicable to all protests or photographers, but I hope it helps as a starting-off point. Have you been organizing or photographing car protests? What would you add to the conversation about how to make car protests visually pop? Please share in the comments.
Thank you to Pete Woiwode, Kamardip Singh, and Mika Kie Weissbuch for your essential contributions to this piece.
More examples of my car protest (and other) photography are on Instagram at @movementphotographer, twitter at @movementphotog, and on Facebook.
