Will you guys help me pick some photos for a project I'm entering?

[RagingInMiami]

I'm entering this local photo project sponsored by a group called Fotomission, whose motto is: "Social Change through Photography." The theme of the project is titled "Miami Cultural Expressions." You can read more about the project here.

http://www.fotomission.org/cultexpresss.htm

If the photos I turn in get chosen, they will be placed in an art gallery and get promoted during some kind of event, where I would be able to sell my photos. It would really be cool becaue I've never done anything like that before.

I can turn in up to 24 photos, but they will only pick 4-6 photos -- if I even get chosen at all. But I'm not going to turn in 24. I might just turn in 10 or less considering I will have to make 8 x 10 prints of each photo I turn in, and that can add up in cost.

So I need your help in helping me narrow down my selections. I placed 15 photos here in chronological order of when they took place. If each of you can tell me your top five or six, from your favorite, to your second favorite, to your third favorite, etc, it will be well appreciated.

My project is on the University of Miami janitors strike, which has been going on more than a month now. I've been covering it since it started, and it got exciting last week because on Tuesday, 15 Miami clergy members got themselves arrested for blocking traffic on US 1 to protest on behalf of the janitors.

Then, 15 minutes after they got arrested, 19 University of Miami students stormed in the university's admission's office and staged a 13-hour sit-in on behalf of the janitors. I knew this was all going to go down, so I was able to get photos of the arrests on US 1, then I ran a few blocks and made it inside the admissions office just as the students were reading off their demands. A few minutes after that, the cops locked the building down.

My photos made it on the front page of two local papers. Not the Miami Herald because the only other photographer in the room was from the Herald. The rest of the photographers who were covering the rally on US 1 got stuck outside the admissions office, so I felt proud.

BTW, you're going to see a lot of immigrants waving flags from their respective countries, so please refrain from continuing the GD flamewars here. :evilgrin:

So all I ask is if you can tell me your top five or six photos and list them in numerical order. The numbers are on top of each photo. Thanks for your help.

1.





2.

This is Joe Geller, Mayor of North Bay Village, a municipality in Miami-Dade County. Geller is a fiery democrat who was riling up the strikers before a march.



3.

Responding to Geller's message.



4.

Marching towards a busy intersection in Miami.



5.




6.

One of the union organizers keeping the momentum going.




7.





8.

The janitors were then joined by students in their march.




9.

About a week later at a rally in downtown Miami. This is the son of one of the union organizers, keeping a steady drum beat throughout the rally.




10.





11.





12.

Last Tuesday when clergy members sat down on US 1 -- one of the busiest streets in the nation -- and blocked traffic in the middle of the day.



13.

This guy got himself arrested along with the clergy members.





14.

Seconds after the students seized the admissions office. Note the police outside the window on the left trying to figure out what is going on.




15.

Once they figured it out, they locked the building down, but not before a small group of janitors made it inside. The rest remained outside for 13 hours straight until UM President Donna Shalala agreed to the students' demands.

[NV Whino]

1. Okay here are my picks

5
6
11
12
15

I liked no. 3 except that the position of the two people on the right makes the woman look as if she had four arms.

[TahitiNut]

2. 9, 12, 15, 8, 4

Just off the top of my head. :shrug:

[bvar22]

3. OK

#6 My favorite.....the lower part is a little dark, might try to lighten it up some.

#3 would be super if you can "shop out" the guy behind the lady. The X-tra arms are distracting.

#11 (Boost the saturation and contrast a smidgen?)

#4 The two women in front rock (especially the one on the right!). Might crop some off the right to give them more focus.

#5

(Disclaimer. I'm just learning this stuff, so WTF do I know?)

Good luck to you and the strikers!
:patriot:

[Immad2]

4. Great pictures RagingInMiami! My picks are 4,8,9,12,15

#1 and #2 - I really don't think anyone likes someone else shaking their index finger at them.

#3 too angry

but the rest are real good and could be used to get the point across very efficiently.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. I like 6, 7 and 11

[F.Gordon]

6. I've tried to look at these objectively

Using the criteria established:

All photographs should serve as poetic representations of the cultures and trends in Miami. Participants should present portfolios that convey feelings, create emotional interest, and express a visual point of view.

First browse... (no particular order) 6,2,3,8,11,7,10,14. Narrowed down to (no particular order) 11,2,7,8,14 (and do you have another "version" of #3 .. without the arms in the air behind)

I'm trying to look at these without considering your text so I can see a "story" that is conveyed visually on its own. Have to say I suck at this... so consider the source.
:crazy:

Ya' got Front Pagers? That's too awesome!!
:yourock:

[RagingInMiami]

7. I ended up submitting 15 photos

Thanks for all your suggestions, but in the end I decided to let them decide. After all, they're the ones who are going to be framing them, hanging them in a gallery, promoting the event and all that organizational stuff that I hate dealing with.

So I submitted all the above photos with the exception of the first one, which is almost like the second one, but not as good. And then I added this photo, which I took when the union drove the janitors to Star Island to further promote their cause. Star Island is where three of the University of Miami Board of Trustee members live, including pop diva Gloria Estefan.

The janitors sat in a public park in the middle of the island and had a picnic. These two were dancing to salsa music when I snapped the photo. Note the mansion in the background.

I wrote about this for Raw Story a few weeks back. Here is the link if you're interested.


http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Striking_janitors_converge_on_Star_Island_0317.html