Chaos in Brazil: Hit the Streets with this Talented & Brave Photojournalist

Photography Tips  •  Street Photography

There is currently a great amount of unrest in Brazil. Police officers barricade the streets as protesters riot with flags and shouts of discontent, cans of tear gas are thrown into the crowds to keep them at bay, and more and more of the stories are coming out as photographers take to the streets and record the violent actions taking place. One photographer, Michel de Souza, has filmed himself taking photos in the middle of all the conflict:

It appears he is using a Canon 5D Mark III armed with the Canon 16-35 f/2.8 and Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS lenses. Amidst the fire, flags, and fearful citizens, a number of photographers also run rampant through the city capturing videos and stills of the panic that surrounds them. You can see that they are none too shy to get up close and personal with the protesters and police alike, but a certain amount of precaution must be taken in situations like these. If you ever find yourself in a serious situation such as this one, remember these things:

• Don’t Interfere With Law Enforcement or Medical Officials – Stay out of their way. They are there to do a job and interfering could seriously affect your life or the life of others. Photographing the scene may be your job or duty, but just be aware of other people’s jobs as well.

• Be Conscious of Your Surroundings – Things can happen quickly in panic situations. Look around you and be aware of the people and events taking place. Don’t keep your camera up to your face the whole time or you might find yourself a little closer to the action than you want.

• Do What You Think is Right – There is a moral grey area that surrounds photographing events where people have been injured or killed or are at risk for either. Some people believe that it’s morally irresponsible to photograph a situation in which you could be helping others instead. Then there are those that argue that these situations need to be photographed and shown to the rest of the world so that we may take more precautionary measures in the future. Both make valid points, but at the end of the day, you are the one who has to live with the decision between the two. So whether you decide to help the present or the future or end up panicking and do neither, don’t let others try to tell you that you made the wrong decision because they’re not you and they weren’t in your situation.

Protesters holding hands in front of a line of police officers

Though the people outnumber the police, the police outgun the people

Protesters offering flowers to the officers

Thanks for showing us what photojournalism is all about. Stay safe out there