American as Apple Pie-The Women’s March (Nashville)

 

I would consider the Women’s March the centerpiece of all the Anti-Trump demonstrations across the USA and abroad. This demonstration was the third protest of the weekend that I had the privilege of documenting. I considered this a privilege not as an endorsement, but as the privilege of living in a country where protests can exist without fear of retaliation. You can read my introduction for this project and read more about this privilege in my very first post, “American as Apple Pie-The Silent Inauguration“. You can also read my second post, “American as Apple Pie-Protest on Capitol Hill“. I would love to hear your comments and insights on my reporting and the pictures. Maybe you have a protest experience to share?

The beauty of photography is that you get to show people the world through your eyes. There is always at least one person in any photograph even if no one is in the photo. That invisible person is the photographer. But is he or she really invisible? I think not. As you study a body of work from a photographer, if you look closely, you might get a hint of the soul of the photographer. Subject matter, composition and light all play a roll in creating a certain mood or theme. Generally speaking, photographers shoot things that have meaning to them. That alone can reveal the thoughts of the photographer. When you put this together across a body of work, you might just get a glimpse of the invisible man.

One of the things revealed through my work, is my love of humanity. Maybe that is why I am drawn to street and documentary photography. The human condition has always fascinated me. Good or bad, it is always interesting to observe people in their environment. I believe it is important for photographers to represent the human condition as it is and not as they wish it to be. Politics aside, I wanted to capture the energy of this moment. Whether or not you and I agree or disagree on the premise behind this march, I would hope that we all can celebrate the freedom to voice our opinion. That is the essence of what I hope I have captured. I will let you be the judge. However, I must warn you. There are some bad language and sexual themes presented in some of these pictures. I’m not a fan of profanity, but I feel that it is pertinent to show things completely as they were without censorship.

I immersed myself into the crowd attempting to bring my viewers into the march with me. My main weapon of choice was my “Nifty Fifty”. On my 35mm slr, the 50mm f1.8 gets you close to a normal perspective. I’m not much of a fan of telephoto lenses for street work as your subjects appear distant. The 50mm makes you move your feet to get close. Getting close gives your more details and it gives a more intimate perspective. When I received the email that my scans were ready for download, I was just about to leave work. I could not wait to see my scans  and this message from the lab only added to my anticipation.

‘Hi Travis, here are your scans for invoice xxxxx. I hope you are having a good afternoon.
Solid work across all three rolls. Exposures and focus both looked great!
I have seen so many rolls from these marches recently. I have to say, that these are some of the best rolls to come across my desk. Your work was consistent and carried a theme. Really nice job!
If you have any concerns or any specific areas you would like more feedback on, you can email me directly with any questions you may have.
Thanks for choosing The FIND Lab!
Chris’

My wife had been anticipating these rolls of film just as much as me. She is very supportive of me and my photography. When I got home, we saw the photos for the first time together. It was fun reliving that day through my pictures. We took our time reading all the signs and studying the little details, some of which I did not know I had captured until they were revealed in the scans. This happens often when you are in a fast paced environment. I am constantly looking for the right angle to fill the frame with a composition that can hold the attention of the viewer. While I am taking in the big picture, some of the little details within the composition are not realized until later. I will display all pictures below so you can scroll through them, but you can also view them in a lightbox slide show at the end. I hope you enjoy the photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read and view my post. I know that was a lot of images, but I felt keeping these photos together did a better job of telling the story. The atmosphere that day was very positive. You could see the bonding between total strangers. All generations were in attendance. Wouldn’t it be nice if the entire nation could come together as one? I hate to say it, but that usually takes a war. Thanks for reading!

 

 

Images Best Viewed in Lightbox Below!

 

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