David St George Photography: photojournalistic wedding and business event photographer: March 2007

Smack Me/ Don't Smack Me

**We interrupt our scheduled program for this special news bulletin!**

1 - I took some time out over lunch to catch the final stage of the protest march against the anti-smacking bill. I hadn't had the pleasure of photographing a protest march before, so this was a new experience.

2 - There were two teams - the pro-smackers (400 odd) and the anti-smackers (30 or so). I tried to position myself along the fault line between the two opposing teams - but apart from one valiant sort who butted up against slogan yelling fanatics with such heroic lines as 'Now... listen to me... you've been misinformed...', there wasn't really any action.

3 - both sides seemed to want to claim the religious high ground.

4 - the 'Family First' foundation seemed to come in for some criticism

5 - plenty to say. No one was listening.

6 - pro-smacker engaging in polite conversation with anti-smackers

7 - it didn't really work... still, the paparazzi smelled action and swarmed around

8 - Lindsay Perigo in the limelight

11 - Christine Rankin making an art form out of argument ad hominem (or, more accurately argumentum ad personam)

12 - both sides paraded their kids around...

13 - ...most didn't seem to care (and probably should have been at school)

14 - Well, I report... you decide...

Some further reading: the New Zealand Herald's report, Stuff.co.nz's report, the protest organisers' webpage, the Repeal Section 59 webpage, and the Green Party's webpage on section 59.

By the Sea

TGIF

I survived my first lecture today (I wouldn't be a very good Assistant Lecturer if I found that sort of thing to be fatal). Feeling rather frazzled, I took the camera for a walk, this pic is the odd one out from the next series.

Women's Cycling - Wellington Criterium

The Women's Cycle Tour of New Zealand finished with a 'Criterium' around the streets of Wellington on Sunday.

1 - Betina Hold (Canada) waiting for the start

2 - the field lined up, and ready to go

3 - race start, complete with commentators in the background

4 - one of the riders tries to make an early break

5 - a few motion studies

7 - there were sprints every 10 minutes, so there was plenty of action

8 - Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Germany) managed to break free

9 - Sarah Ulmer in pursuit

10 - Teutenberg wins, I had to do some rather drastic cropping thanks to the official photographer who stepped out and blocked the view of about 900 TV and still cameras

11 - Sarah Ulmer (New Zealand) crosses the line in 2nd

12 - Ulmer is one of NZ's most popular sportspeople - she won a gold medal at the Athens Olympics (3000 metres individual pursuit), and set a world record time

13 - nice trophy...

14 - ...and the sprint ace jersey. Hmmm. The look (it isn't quite 'blue steel') featured on Stuff.co.nz courtesy of a similarly minded Dominion Post photographer.

15 - winners on the podium. Cycling New Zealand kindly has the full results here.

Gravity and Other Myths

It seems like every photographer in Wellington has had a go at shooting 'Gravity and Other Myths' (part of the Fringe Festival). Not to be outdone, I headed along for their final performance on Saturday night:

1 - lots of hanging about

2 - there's no harness or anything, she's just wrapped up and hanging on (and flying about)

3 - photographically the situation was quite demanding - I had the camera in full manual, and was trying desperately to do a 'steady pan' with the 90mm lens. Flash photography wasn't allowed (which suited me fine!)...