Make Manifest the Stance

One of my favourite techiques is to stand at a shooting point and keep photographing the same scene. The mosaic of images coming out of the shots is always intriguing, carrying its own unique messages to the viewers. These shots taken at the place of the vigil show participants walking across the scene where the big banner in the background wrote messages about the 1989 democratic movement.

As taking part in the June Fourth vigil made manifest the participant's stance, taking photos can reflect an issue through the photographer's eye.

At the venue of the vigil commemorating the June Fourth Massacre happened in Beijing, there were many photographers roughly in three categories, namely, those using DSLRs with zoom lenses on, P&Ss or serious compacts. I was in the last category with my two GX200s of which one was mounted with the 16mm converter.

Just as using a prime lens obliges the photographer to get close to the subjects and be creative to work around its "shortcomings", the constraints of the GX200 for shots at high ISO and long range (beyond its reach at 75mm) – both are important for a shooting occasion like the rally – did the same to me. So, while the DSLR users zoomed lenses to shoot their subjects, I ran around with my two GX200s. I ended up being closer to the people's actions. The constraints became useful to the photographer to do better shots if, well, he or she is capable as such.

In the images, I intended to express the vigil in a contrasting sense of loss (the massacre is still regarded as counter-revolutionary by the Chinese government) and the people's recalcitrance (people are still pressing for official admittance of responsibility for the massacre 21 years ago).

For the picture above, I moved the camera upward a bit to mimic the effect of seeing through a tearful eye. Note that I didn't move it downward cos the blurs would have become atop the solid colours, no good for the intended effect. The shutter was dragged to the appropriate speed; the same was done to the photos below.

Next, I moved the camera sideways to give a feeling of activity to the gathering people.

Pictures interwoven with blurred and static actions are more lively, and powerful, as the following one may show. I had waited for some minutes for this shot. The photographer has to know the right shutter speed.

We had expats, actually quite a number of them, joining the vigil. I had waited until the man looked over his shoulder to the lens.

I discovered two lone old men sitting away from the crowds to take part in the vigil. They may be old and with handicapped capabilities but they still took part that night.

Using a VF made it possible for me to shoot the picture from the waist level, and thus the slow shutter speed was possible even though the camera was handheld.

The GX200 being unable to zoom to my desired range, I had to move forward to the father and asked for his permission to photograph the girls.

Young schoolboys and the disabled joined the vigil.

A typical effect by swirling the camera. The image is more powerful and intriguing than otherwise.