Strike in France

Strike in France

Above are contact sheets of photos I took during a strike in France. 

On the 13th April 2023, there was a lot of Strike in France. Strikes have been taking place in France since mid-January to prevent the Government's pension reform from coming into force. I come from France and I was pleasantly surprised that it was a peaceful strike, as you probably know France is famous for strikes getting a crazy. 

It's a real challenge to take photos during a strike because there is a lot of people and so much is happening so fast. I had to be very careful with my equipment and my surroundings. A friend came with me in order to help me : I was walking backwards in order to face the people and take photos of their faces. She was walking behind me with her hand on my back so I knew where to go and that I wasn't going to fall or walk into someone. 

I'm considering using the 3 following images for my 10 Final images

I find this portrait above very powerful. The young man shouting in the megaphone is part of the SCUM 'Syndicat de Combat Universitaire de Montpellier' (University Combat Syndicate of Montpellier) and you can see their symbol on the flag : the tiger. He wants his voice to be heard and he is fighting for his own rights but also other's.

In this photo above, I find the pose of the woman in the middle very dominant and powerful. She was part of a group of people playing all sorts of instruments and singing for their rights.

There is a lot of negative space on the top though, so I would crop that if I keep this photo for my 10 finals.

The photo above, once again shows a powerful move : someone shouting in a megaphone

so their voice is heard. Here, the girl is at the bottom of the statue 'Les 3 Graces'. Emblematic of the city, this Statue illustrates the "Three Graces" of Greek mythology named: Aglaé, Euphrosine and Thalie. These three Charites, daughters of Zeus, are goddesses who translate Seduction, Beauty, Nature, Human Creativity and Fertility. For me, they also make me think of Marianne, the symbol of the French revolution because their chest isn't covered and they have one arm reaching out.

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