For days, our social media feeds have been filled with inspiring images of protest and resistance drawn from airports, plazas, and city streets across the country. From planned marches to spontaneous gatherings, we are bearing witness to a powerful coalescence of energy that relies just as much on physical presence as it does on digital communication. But while this steady stream of photos and videos has helped us feel connected to a larger movement, admittedly a lot of these images don’t transcend their immediate purpose of bearing witness.
Which is to say: there are a lot of basic photos out there. And that’s fine – when you’re marching halfway across the city in a sea of people, holding a sign in one hand and your phone in the other, we don’t ask for much more than a quick snap surveying the scene. But Oscar-winning cinematographer and prolific Instagrammer Emmanuel “El Chivo” Lubezki heads to a rally, you know you’re in for some next-level ish.
And that’s just what we’ve gotten over the past few weeks, as Chivo has packed up his smartphone and headed to several LA-area protests in solidarity with the struggle; including a stop at the city’s massive Women’s March and an LAX protest of Trump’s illegal travel ban. As usual, the Mexican master used his penetrating eye to find heavenly plays of light and shadow and surprising juxtapositions of color and shape, all while bringing crucial visibility to the events with his nearly 400,000 followers.
Check out the shots below, and follow Chivo’s Instagram account here to stay up on the cinematographer’s global adventures. Budding movement photogs could definitely pick up a few tips and tricks from this modern Michelangelo and his trusty Samsung Galaxy.