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Looking forward to your comments and critiques.

Jeff;

 

Not a bad photo but I think your location isn’t all that good, if the officers wad to fire you may have been hit (Bullets don’t have brains and don’t care who they hit). Maybe if you had been more toward one side or the other you could have gotten a better shot, the glare of the take-down light brings my attention to it.

I am glad it ended well.

 

Matt

 

I don't have any problem with the photo but you were "downrange" for at least 4 weapons. That is a little scary. Not the place you want to be even to get the shot. I am glad for you that they did not have to shoot. It would suck to get hit by friendly fire.

Thank you Matt, Lex, and Dan. There are inherent risks in everything we do, it's a cliché response, I know but it's true. I could have gone around and shot the image from the police/spectator perspective but was much more interested in capturing the scene from the perspective of the suspect because I felt it was one not often seen. Most of the images in my portfolio are ones captured for the pure joy and passion of photography, this is not necessarily one of those photos as it is a departure from what I typically post here on PN.

 

I thank Matt and Dan for your concern. Although I am certain that Barbara chastised Galen Rowell for hanging off the side of a cliff to capture a climber as he pendulumed from one hold to another, I am even more certain that it did not dissuade him. Nope, they were both killed doing something mundane, something they did all the time.

I am certainly not going to critique it but I would love to add my 2 cents worth.......Ouch who's going to get shot here; the perpetrator or the photographer. I wouldn't have been steady enough for the push of the button. Awesome candid imagery

If you take a look at the details tab you will see that this was shot with a 400mm lens, I was probably an eighth of a mile from the scene, laying prone behind a large truck with as little of my body exposed as possible. To the far right of this image you will see the arm of a man, standing in the middle of the street about 50 feet from the suspect, just watching. There was also a woman who repeatedly walked across the street with her laundry basket. I was where I was with the permission of the officer(s) responsible for diverting traffic at the intersection immediately behind me.

 

I don't necessarily condone this type of shot, it's definitely more dangerous than dandelions and landscapes. If I had a wife and/or kids, this photograph would not exist but alas, I don't... and it does.

 

Each of us has to determine our own limits and take precautions for our own safety and the safety of others.

Great shot, Jeff! Wow! Glad you and your camera survived it. ;-)

Thank you Sarah, glad to see you back. I kinda missed you around here. Oh, and thanks for not reiterating how stupid I was for being downrange like every single other commenter :)

 

There used to be a really nice critique by Lex Jenkins on this photo. Very thoughtful and insightful regarding the field of photojournalism and his experiences in the industry. Unfortunately, his comment from this (and many other photos on PN) disappeared due to an as yet unidentified gremlin within the bowels of the PNs servers.

Sometimes there's risks to get the great shot - not sure I would have done it but you never know when you get caught up in the moment. Glad you didn't get hurt ... was this published?

It was not published. 

Well the photo grabbed my attention when it popped up at the bottom of a Forum comment. To be frank I didn’t even think of you being downrange of the armoury. The first thing I saw was the Policeman (camera left with triceps leaning on car windshield) was either aiming way off target, or had suspicions of another person in the suspect car.

 

It is a good street / photojournalist shot – it captures the moment and that is what it is about, the moment – it shows the Photographer had pause to think and act; that would required great effort and composure.

 

I also miss Sarah’s intelligent and sometimes witty input.

 

WW

Thank you for offering your thoughts, William.  There were a total of four people in the car, this image shows the driver who was the second occupant to be taken into custody.  The two people in the back seat were detained after this was taken.

Four people in the car - makes sense why that Copper has his weapon pointed to the car, thanks for explaining that.

 

WW

I can't help but notice the heat wave giving a very unique depth of field and also adds to a thematic perspetive "under fire" feel for the perp. Very nice!

Well Done!