Cable Beach Protest.

[loose cannon]

On Sunday there was a massive protest organized by local musicians against a proposed gas plant to be built just north of Broome so I was irresistably drawn to the beach to capture the moment with my camera, as you would expect.

There would have been at least 10,000 people on Cable beach spread over a kilometre with about 8,000 of those there to be part of the protest so it was quite a sight.

Anyway, after standing around for an hour or so looking at this mass of humanity I couldn't see a shot anywhere that appealed to me. Let's face it, 10,000 people on a beach is not really a pretty sight.

But then this lugger cruised past and then the lady appeared at the water's edge and I knew I had my shot.

This isn't the protest obviously, this is my interpretation of what we stand to lose and why we were all gathered at the beach.

I'd like to keep the politics out of this thread as much as possible but felt I needed to mention the protest to give the image context.

This is Broome ..


http://ishootbirds.smugmug.com/Animals/Kimberley/i-hZsQdFG/0/XL/IMG9345-XL.jpg

This is a colour image btw.

[ross and cher]

So not what I was expecting to see from the title - to me you have captured the essence very well Mick - I like the serenity - two points of humanity to add interest but the rest is vast nothingness, and the natural monotone adds to that feeling for me at least

[David]

I really like it. I like the way the shot is divided into beach, ocean and sky with the boat and person giving the needed perspective. The fast shutter speed has helped capture the tones without introducing that yukky colour ;). All up I would be happy to have it framed on my wall. Well captured.

[gerry]

ahh that brings back memories, I had a great trip over there a few years ago and did take a cruise on one of the old luggers at sunset there - it was the end of 4wd trek along the gibb river road.

Thats a fine image, i get the message of the protest purely thru your words, the photo relates nothing to me about the protest without the words.

Have you considered cropping the image to a portrait format and concentrating on the woman and the boat? whilst the space on the right can add to the image, for me, it feels like dead space that is not contributing, my eyes are drawn more to the two focal points (the women and the boat) and only head over to the dead space to find something else which is not there.

BW is a good idea here, i assume it was in the middle of the day? no sunset colours? The sky looks a bit muddy, maybe just a touch of desat (locally) to really make it BW - could well be my monitor as well though.

Not a bad part of the world you have over there, albeit a bit warm :) note I say that as it is crapping down rain and 10 degrees in sydney :unsure:

[Lost]

You just need a croc to be approaching the lady :o :bounce:

One of your best Mick; that will cost you a frame ;)

Just for ideas

[twistednoodle]

This is fantastic love the b&w. Nice framing too great way to see what it would like. Love the simplicity the most the b&w adds to that I think. Nice!

[Laurie]

A powerful protest image, Mick, the sort of image to take it's place in the struggle.

[Lost]

Just to be picky: more space would be good on the bottom of the image ;)

[timmo]

I too live in a seaside community and would be properly outraged if a LNG plant was going in.
Love the shot MIck...kinda puts it to perspective for me.
cheers
tim

[loose cannon]

Wow. Thanks for the thoughtful responses everyone. I'll respond as best I can.


So not what I was expecting to see from the title - to me you have captured the essence very well Mick - I like the serenity - two points of humanity to add interest but the rest is vast nothingness, and the natural monotone adds to that feeling for me at least

Yeah, I realise that the essence of this image will probably resonate better to a local audience and I might enter it in an upcoming local photo comp ($1,000 prize!). I was attracted to the serenity mixed in with the chaos of such a crowded beach but impossible to capture it all in one frame.


I really like it. I like the way the shot is divided into beach, ocean and sky with the boat and person giving the needed perspective. The fast shutter speed has helped capture the tones without introducing that yukky colour ;). All up I would be happy to have it framed on my wall. Well captured.

Thank you David. Once that lady wandered into the frame I I felt it turned a nothing image into something.


ahh that brings back memories, I had a great trip over there a few years ago and did take a cruise on one of the old luggers at sunset there - it was the end of 4wd trek along the gibb river road.

Thats a fine image, i get the message of the protest purely thru your words, the photo relates nothing to me about the protest without the words.

Have you considered cropping the image to a portrait format and concentrating on the woman and the boat? whilst the space on the right can add to the image, for me, it feels like dead space that is not contributing, my eyes are drawn more to the two focal points (the women and the boat) and only head over to the dead space to find something else which is not there.

BW is a good idea here, i assume it was in the middle of the day? no sunset colours? The sky looks a bit muddy, maybe just a touch of desat (locally) to really make it BW - could well be my monitor as well though.

Not a bad part of the world you have over there, albeit a bit warm :) note I say that as it is crapping down rain and 10 degrees in sydney :unsure:

Good point re the portrait format. I processed this late last night and spent about an hour messing with it. I need to stop working late at night as the brain and eyes are not up to the task, lol, and I'll certainly go back and play with the crop. Great idea to desate the sky, it's a bit yucky and didn't improve with a b&w conversion so I can see it needs work.

Taken about 4pm actually. The lack of colour is quite weird but that's what was there. I took a few shots of the crowd, they are mostly well to the left and they show a full range of colour as you would expect.

Hope the weather down your way improves. :)


You just need a croc to be approaching the lady :o :bounce:

One of your best Mick; that will cost you a frame ;)

Just for ideas

Shame there's no croc but might have kinda killed the serenity feel. :D I love the frames Ian, absolutely spot on for this image.


This is fantastic love the b&w. Nice framing too great way to see what it would like. Love the simplicity the most the b&w adds to that I think. Nice!

Glad you like it Twisty. Simplicity is what I was aiming for.


A powerful protest image, Mick, the sort of image to take it's place in the struggle.

Rather than show the actual protest I was trying to capture what the protest was all about so yeah, I'm pretty happy with this. It's more of a personal image but maybe if I display it in context with a couple of crowd shots it might hit harder as an image?


Just to be picky: more space would be good on the bottom of the image ;)

Picky is good! Yes, I agree Ian. I haven't got much room to play with in the foreground of the image but I'll recrop and see what I can squeeze in. There are a few more people in front and I cropped them out but maybe the clone tool will be my best friend here. I'm not entirely happy with the composition as is.


I too live in a seaside community and would be properly outraged if a LNG plant was going in.
Love the shot MIck...kinda puts it to perspective for me.
cheers
tim

Thanks tim. If this project was planned for a more heavily populated are then the protests would be on a massive scale. Imagine a project of this nature near the Great Barrier Reef! The isolation of the Kimberley is the greatest hurdle to overcome. Out of sight out of mind I'm afraid.

[Lost]

that's the sort of image i print to around 8 x 10/12 and put in simple but wider than normal matted frame. something like a 12 x 16".

[Laurie]

It's more of a personal image but maybe if I display it in context with a couple of crowd shots it might hit harder as an image?

Well, maybe, but I'd see it's position in the scheme of things quite differently.

Years ago there was a photographer who's work had a significant roll in the campaign to stop the flooding of the Daintre, a valley in Tasmania. One image became iconnic but there were many, of course.

I see your Cable Beach image in that vane. Maybe teamed with an exhibition of thirty prints, traveling the country, galleries paying you to host your exhibition.

With a high profile protest cause, you're in a good position to get some good press. National TV, ya know.

[loose cannon]

that's the sort of image i print to around 8 x 10/12 and put in simple but wider than normal matted frame. something like a 12 x 16".

Thanks Ian, I'm in the lucky position of having a friend who owns a framing business. They wont work for free obviously, they got rent to pay like everybody else, but I know they'll guide and help me and give me a good deal to get me started


Well, maybe, but I'd see it's position in the scheme of things quite differently.

Years ago there was a photographer who's work had a significant roll in the campaign to stop the flooding of the Daintre, a valley in Tasmania. One image became iconnic but there were many, of course.

I see your Cable Beach image in that vane. Maybe teamed with an exhibition of thirty prints, traveling the country, galleries paying you to host your exhibition.

With a high profile protest cause, you're in a good position to get some good press. National TV, ya know.

Thanks for the encouragement Laurie!

On the day there were doco crews working the beach, a helicopter cruising around and every pro tog in town was there including the ABC of course so this gas project is slowly gaining the national scrutiny it needs. I'd be excited beyond belief if I can play a part in it via my imagery. :)

[Seesee]

Great silhouette Mick, looks great with the muted tone and colour, nicely composed but myself I'm in two minds about the girl on the beach, my eyes find it hard to know which subject to focus on ....the boat or girl, however, I dont think it matters either way, lovely shot mate.

[loose cannon]

Thanks Colin :)

[Isac]

Mick .. you're a genius. Your passion for that part of the world is obvious. Unfortunately, greed and governments being run by turkeys, usually prevails over what is right. Your beautiful photo wins a much lauded "ISAC WALL HANGER AWARD".

[loose cannon]

Thanks Isac for the very kind words. :)

And yup, this one is destined to hang.

[Lost]

The demo made it briefly onto the ABC's Land line program yesterday.

[loose cannon]

I missed that! Thanks for the heads up Ian, I'll catch up on iview when I get back. I'm heading out of town in a couple of hours and will be away till the weekend at least.

[Lost]

Not much to see Mick.

[Tannin]

I can't speak for the "I was there" side of things, but this is simply a beautiful image: composition and presentation combining to produce a pleasing, restful, yet nevertheless visually interesting result. Nothing to improve here, don't do nuffin!

[loose cannon]

Thank you Tannin. I've played around with this image but keep coming back to the original. It'll be staying as is and framed as advised by Ian. :)

[Jonathan]

Great perspective on an event like this.

[loose cannon]

Thanks Jonathan, appreciate the comment.