# My first Press assignment-KKK



## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

I was recently hired by a Freelance PJ outfit.  I know that I'm barely in touch with photojournalism, but the lady liked my people pictures and thought there was potential there....albiet roughly! :lmao:   Anyhoo, my first assignment was to cover a KKK protest in Tomball, TX near Houston. Athough my press badge gave me great access to just about everything, the one place media was not allowed to go was near the KKK exhibit held in the town's community center.  (Although I did pull off a few with a telephoto).
The day was crazy hot, and I'm sunburned as all get out, but I can tell you that I had a total blast.
The protesters were to be stationed in a parking lot cattycorner to where the clansmen were, but the clansmen were taunting the protesters by coming out on a patio in their robes and soldiers outfits and things quickly began to get out of hand.  One group of the protesters were very peaceful.  Two other groups, The New Black Panthers, and the Anti Racist Action group actually wanted to stop the exhibit and clashed with police by marching out of the protest area and trying to storm the exhib area.
Photos follow.  Sorry for the number of them, but I think they tell the story.
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10.


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## hobbes28 (Jun 12, 2005)

Wow is all I have to say.  These pictures are phenominal.  I can't believe the amount of emotion and anger you have captured.  Simply stunning.


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## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

11.




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20.


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## Alison (Jun 12, 2005)

Stunning series. I think that you've found your niche!


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## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

You're preggers Alison???  Congrats to you and Hobbes!!!!!!!!!!!


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## thebeginning (Jun 12, 2005)

that's crazy. i live in tomball (practically).  I knew there was some KKK thing...i heard something about it. but i didnt know about a protest. what was it all about?

nice pics by the way!  great job, especially with your first assignment.  what newspaper was this for? I might get it.  That would be neat, i'd actually know who the photographer was 

number 13 is very emotional. both with the guy and the cops, but then that girl right there in the middle of it, just standing there. wonderful capture.


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## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

thebeginning said:
			
		

> that's crazy. i live in tomball (practically). I knew there was some KKK thing...i heard something about it. but i didnt know about a protest. what was it all about?
> 
> nice pics by the way! great job, especially with your first assignment. what newspaper was this for? I might get it. That would be neat, i'd actually know who the photographer was
> 
> number 13 is very emotional. both with the guy and the cops, but then that girl right there in the middle of it, just standing there. wonderful capture.


 
Oh, I wish you could have made it! I would have loved to have met you. My agency is submitting to SIPA and ZUMA.  I don't know if anyone will even buy the photos, so they may only appear on a few places on the web.:lmao: 
Yeah, it was wild. The photo you refer to, number 13, is also a favorite of mine, because I felt so badly for that little girl. The man she is with is a Klan sympathizer who had approached to protest area to taunt the protesters. He and the girl were fortunate that that the Police stepped in quickly as protesters from the New Black Panters and Anti Racism Action jumped the barracade and had come after them. The poor little girl was terrified. (I had more emotional shots of that, but I was running with the camera trying to get to the area, and the others were just too blurry.


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## deadjoe (Jun 12, 2005)

they are all awesome shots, personally i would have converted them to black and white, not only because the obvious "black vs white" theme but also for the aesthetic connotations associated with b+w images...
good job
roon


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## Andrea K (Jun 12, 2005)

great job, it is a very emotional series. :thumbup:


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## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

deadjoe said:
			
		

> they are all awesome shots, personally i would have converted them to black and white, not only because the obvious "black vs white" theme but also for the aesthetic connotations associated with b+w images...
> good job
> roon


 
Hi Joe, thanks.  I'm not sure about it being a black and white issue, but more of an issue of acceptance in a diverse world.


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## deadjoe (Jun 12, 2005)

well, you know what i mean 
it is truly incredible that an "organisation" such as the kkk still (or ever) exists! but as you say we live in a diverse world and as sad as it is the kkk do have the right to do what they do regardless of how horrible it is!
in the uk i find myself surrounded by casual rascism (ignorance) but i am not too sure about whether the kkk is really about in the uk, we certainly still have the few odd skinheads scattered about the place though...
roon


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## M @ k o (Jun 12, 2005)

Great work elsaspet. Great photography. Thx for sharing your assignment and talent.


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## Corry (Jun 12, 2005)

deadjoe said:
			
		

> well, you know what i mean
> it is truly incredible that an "organisation" such as the kkk still (or ever) exists! but as you say we live in a diverse world and as sad as it is the kkk do have the right to do what they do regardless of how horrible it is!
> in the uk i find myself surrounded by casual rascism (ignorance) but i am not too sure about whether the kkk is really about in the uk, we certainly still have the few odd skinheads scattered about the place though...
> roon



Here in America, it's definately out there...here is a link:

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp

The only states in the U.S. without any recorded hate groups are North Dakota, Hawaii, and New Mexico.


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## Andrea K (Jun 12, 2005)

core_17 said:
			
		

> Here in America, it's definately out there...here is a link:
> 
> http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp
> 
> The only states in the U.S. without any recorded hate groups are North Dakota, Hawaii, and New Mexico.


 
wow, i was surprised by the number in my state (PA). 32!

edit: once i clicked on the state i realized that a whole crap load are right in my area  ...makes me sick


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## Raymond J Barlow (Jun 12, 2005)

very sadly, human nature has a hate element., some of us dwell on it, and look for things to hate, usually as a result of fear, and insecurity.  It sickens me to know end, and sadly, the vast majority of us as humans cannot change what nature, and brainwashing has given those pathetic souls.

Great shot's .. awesome job and wow, it must have been exciting!

hehehe, I guess if we hate those people, we are in their circle!~

Emotional confrontation usually doesn't solve anything


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## JonMikal (Jun 12, 2005)

awesome work....and extremely well captured!

thanks for sharing.


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## Eric. (Jun 12, 2005)

Those are amazing! Great shots. I think it's a good niche you may have found yourself there. I love all the emotion you captured. #7 stood out to me. It's amazing how the faces of the KKK in the picture are all smiling and laughing, as if the protest is all some big joke! The is a women even waving at you or the crowd! Good Work!

P.S. Did your local paper print any of them?


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## Jeff Canes (Jun 12, 2005)

Elsaspet good series, did you write captions for any of the photos


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## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

Eric. said:
			
		

> Those are amazing! Great shots. I think it's a good niche you may have found yourself there. I love all the emotion you captured. #7 stood out to me. It's amazing how the faces of the KKK in the picture are all smiling and laughing, as if the protest is all some big joke! The is a women even waving at you or the crowd! Good Work!
> 
> P.S. Did your local paper print any of them?


 
It wasn't really local as I was dispatched out of Dallas.  I'm not sure if anything will be printed.  I am just uploading to SIPA.  Fingers crossed.  
Yes I agree.  I was appalled by the amount of money this poor town had to spend on this little band of hooded thugs.
Thank you for your kind words.


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## Gunderground (Jun 12, 2005)

I agree. You did a great job capturing these. 
These are pretty much what you'd see in a top magize article.


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## elsaspet (Jun 12, 2005)

Jeff Canes said:
			
		

> Elsaspet good series, did you write captions for any of the photos


I'm still captioning. That is the hardest part! I never know what to write! Are you a PJ? Can you give me some caption tips????!!!


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## Lensmeister (Jun 12, 2005)

Elsaspet Superb work ......... utterly superb.


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## Unimaxium (Jun 12, 2005)

andreag5 said:
			
		

> wow, i was surprised by the number in my state (PA). 32!
> 
> edit: once i clicked on the state i realized that a whole crap load are right in my area  ...makes me sick



Ditto... 32 is a big number! Although as someone once said about Pennsylvania, "There's Philadelphia and Pittsburg and Alabama in between" (or something to that effect)


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## hobbes28 (Jun 12, 2005)

elsaspet said:
			
		

> You're preggers Alison???  Congrats to you and Hobbes!!!!!!!!!!!



  Thanks. 

2,10,16,and 18 are my favorites of this entire series.  I'm still in awe in the level of emotion you have captured.


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## aprilraven (Jun 12, 2005)

these are the coolest pictures.. and its strange to read where some people are not even sure the kkk exsists.... i have grown up in the south...i know they exsist..along with other groups that are less known and more secretive...humans constantly amaze me...
but these pictures are amazing in theirselves..if you didnt know which was which, you would have a hard time telling the good guys from the bad...the faces show the same anger...
i think the scariest one...the kkk guy standing with the others...#7 i think...and they are all laughing...the older woman is waving.. like its a parade...the show of the big guys arm around the cloaked figure...and the complete lack of humility or guilt at what they represent... that should scare everyone...
hate runs rampet in the world....doesnt it?  great pictures...sad reason.  great job on these... the emotion is almost a slap in the face...!!!  really good job, girl..


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## Canoncan (Jun 12, 2005)

Great news captures. An emotion of life captured forever on an image. Briliant./


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## ShutteredEye (Jun 13, 2005)

Makes me ill to see the kids there for all that.


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## OBrien (Jun 13, 2005)

Great series Elsapet. Sad that the KKK can still flaunt themselves in public like this.


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## terri (Jun 13, 2005)

JonMikal directed me over here!   I'm happy to be able to view them all, Elsapet.   It's a great series, very hard to view some of them because some of these people are so disgusting.   

Not an easy assignment, and you did a great job.  :thumbup:    Good luck with getting them out there!


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## Chiller (Jun 13, 2005)

What an awesome series.  You got come really strong emotions, and those kids are there, probably not by there choice...man...You did an amazing job.  Very well done!!!!!


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## Gunderground (Jun 13, 2005)

aprilraven said:
			
		

> i think the scariest one...the kkk guy standing with the others...#7 i think...and they are all laughing...the older woman is waving.. like its a parade...the show of the big guys arm around the cloaked figure...and the complete lack of humility or guilt at what they represent... that should scare everyone...



I agree totally. They're flaunting their easy going malice and viscious beliefs right in front of everyone's faces daring them to do anything. They don't look like the brightest people, that's for sure, which makes the situation even worse.


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## Armstror (Jun 13, 2005)

These are really awsome pictures! I never knew the KKK still existed! I don't know if we have any gangs here in Canada, but that's just a little weird. I've always seen them in the movies. They've done a lot of horrible things back then. What exactly do they do now? I'm pretty sure the state or town who supports them doesn't let them burn colored people on a cross or hang them. I guess the KKK would have a lot to hate now that North America is becoming more diverse. (Or i guess even less diverse, if there are still people like that around.) And i guess too that they have a right to opinions and beliefs, just like people do when they go to church or something. But it would be cruel if they were allowed to do anything about their beliefs or push them upon others, especially those of different color or race. I bet the whole KKK gathering was just them sitting around in a room spitting out racial views to each other. Laws today don't let them do much of anything else! (Thank god.)


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## Corry (Jun 13, 2005)

Armstror said:
			
		

> These are really awsome pictures! I never knew the KKK still existed! I don't know if we have any gangs here in Canada, but that's just a little weird. I've always seen them in the movies. They've done a lot of horrible things back then. What exactly do they do now? I'm pretty sure the state or town who supports them doesn't let them burn colored people on a cross or hang them. I guess the KKK would have a lot to hate now that North America is becoming more diverse. (Or i guess even less diverse, if there are still people like that around.) And i guess too that they have a right to opinions and beliefs, just like people do when they go to church or something. But it would be cruel if they were allowed to do anything about their beliefs or push them upon others, especially those of different color or race. I bet the whole KKK gathering was just them sitting around in a room spitting out racial views to each other. Laws today don't let them do much of anything else! (Thank god.)



And what makes you think they obey the law?


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## Armstror (Jun 13, 2005)

> And what makes you think they obey the law?



Well i didn't think of that. Good point though. I guess i wouldn't know. But if they didn't obey the law, would the town still be hosting them? I mean, obviously it seems as if there are different races living in town (or maybe out of town) that would have a problem with it, or become would-be targets for KKK crimes (other than verbal abuse). If the town decided to allow the KKK in knowing that they'd be doing some pretty bad things to the people then i'm pretty sure a lot of folks are gunna be in trouble. Probably won't know until something happens though i guess...


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## Corry (Jun 13, 2005)

Armstror said:
			
		

> Well i didn't think of that. Good point though. I guess i wouldn't know. But if they didn't obey the law, would the town still be hosting them? I mean, obviously it seems as if there are different races living in town (or maybe out of town) that would have a problem with it, or become would-be targets for KKK crimes (other than verbal abuse). If the town decided to allow the KKK in knowing that they'd be doing some pretty bad things to the people then i'm pretty sure a lot of folks are gunna be in trouble. Probably won't know until something happens though i guess...



Holding the rally itself isn't against the law...and they can't punish a person for something that has not been done yet.  I wouldn't doubt that people try to discourage the rallies from happening, but they can't forbid it.  If they did, they would be denying the constitutional right to freedom of speech.  And just because something is offensive to many, doesn't make it against the law, unfortunately.  And I'm sure the illeagal things the KKK does aren't generally done at the rallys, where there are witnesses and cops everywhere.  Even stupid people like the Klan SHOULD know better than that.


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## Jeff Canes (Jun 13, 2005)

elsaspet said:
			
		

> I'm still captioning. That is the hardest part! I never know what to write! Are you a PJ? Can you give me some caption tips????!!!



      No I am not a PJ, the few I remotely know are all sports photographers so caption writing depends on their knowledge sports and the players.    The problem is that you need information on the player/people. And that requests talking with people at the event.  IMO it is very hard to start a conversations with unfamiliar people, that maybe the only way to get good info. Personally, do not think I could do it, but wish I could.:thumbup:


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## JonMikal (Jun 13, 2005)

Jeff Canes said:
			
		

> The problem is that you need information on the player/people. And that requests talking with people at the event.


 
you're absolutely right! in order to convey a message to the public, you more than likely need to caption the image....so as a PJ, you will find yourself interviewing more than shooting at times. many news centers send out a photographer and anchor to get a story, sometimes this approach gets fumbled because one is focusing on a story in text while the other is capturing images that do not necessarily coincide. a PJ, working independent, has the ability/luxury of compiling a powerful punch that will hit hard to its viewers/readers.

i once was a bit standoffish about getting up in ppl's faces, shooting and talking. no more; these ppl assemble for a reason and your being there helps the cause tenfold...they know this! i have shot several protests here in DC and all participants are more than happy to be photographed and much happier to talk about it. (at times you won't be able to shut them up) step-in and get the story.....you'll be more effective have an added punch for your effort! otherwise, you'll be assuming.....and you don't wanna print assumptions!!!


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