Last Sunday I was outside the Tory Election HQ on Millbank with a rather large group of people who had a bone to pick with Mr Cameron over the lack of gay-friendly policies in his election manifesto. As was pointed out, it was the Conservative party that put ‘Section 28’ into law, making teachers and others very uncertain about what they could legally say about homosexuality without being accused of “promoting” it.
Proposed by my local MP, it was a peculiarly ineffectual piece of law, working more by creating confusion than in any other way. And I was rather pleased to see that Mr Wilshire, having been caught out in the expenses scandal, had to give up the seat, although it remains to be seen whether his successor will be any better. Unless we get a pretty large swing to the Liberal Democrats, he will be some kind of banker (at least I think that’s what a ‘financial analyst’ in the City is) with an Eton education, so I have no great hopes.
I’ve photographed both Tamsin Omond and Peter Tatchell many times before, but not kissing so in that respect it was a first.
Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves and it was fun to photograph, although obviously rather a scrum so far as the media were concerned. Several times when I thought I had found a new angle on things I started taking pictures to find photographers to the left, right, above and below me – and just occasionally in front of me.
At these things there are always a few photographers who spend some time moaning at the others to “go longer” so everyone can get their pictures, but usually it just doesn’t work – and if people are persuaded to go back then nobody gets a decent picture. At least if everyone just piles in some of us will, and at this event there were plenty of opportunities.
Of course sometimes you want to move back to get a picture, but I think every time I did at this event, someone walked into the gap I’d made. So the answer is usually to work wide. Most of the time the 16-35mm was very useful, though it was good to have a longer zoom on the D300 – where the 18-200 is equivalent to a 27-300mm.
Some people have complained that it was an event that pandered to the stereotypes about LGBT issues, and that the media and photographers in particular choose to photograph people who reinforce these stereotypes.
I suppose that in general at demonstrations I am likely to photograph people who stand out in some way, perhaps by holding a banner or placard or wearing a mask or costume or by some behaviour – there has to be something to work with to make a picture. Taking ordinary or boring pictures is seldom of much use to anyone (although rather too many of them get published.)
More about the flashmob and many more pictures on My London Diary.