Creating Viral Images at the People’s Climate March

On September 21st I worked with Survival Media Agency to document the largest climate march in history, the Peoples Climate March. Our team was contracted by 350.org to document and capture this historical event. To cover this moment, Survival Media brought in 6 photographers and 2 editors.

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Considering all the attention on the event, over 400,000 people marching in the streets, and the thousands of groups that came out to support, it was clear that we had the potential to make some of those images go viral.

Crucial to that social media push was the first shot of the march, the one that showed what was happening in New York ‘right now’. To get that shot I was given access to a crane at the front of the march. Twenty minutes before the march started I rose up above Columbus Circle to capture the moment. What I witnessed was an incredible demonstration of people power. It was impossible to see the end of the crowd. It extended all the way up to 91St and beyond. Never before had this many people gathered in one spot to demand action on climate change. Here was the climate movement coming of age.

However, I didn’t get to take in the scene for long because in a few minutes my colleagues were asking me to get down so they could have my images.

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On the ground, Shadia Fayne Wood and Bunker Seyfert proceeded to edit the crucial image and send it to the waiting crew at the offices of 350.org.

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Six hours later, when I had finished documenting the march, I finally caught a glimpse of the image. It had been shared over 7,000 times! It takes a team; photographers, editors, graphic designers and a platform that will amplify your image. But, when it works, it is awesome.

Here is that image.

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16 Feet at FLEX Mussels in New York

Panorama of Prince Edward Island, CavendishPanoramic image of Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

I come from Prince Edward Island, a tiny island on the East Coast of Canada. I have been lucky to live all over Canada and now base myself in the Netherlands, but, I am still proud to call myself an Islander. Thus, I was very excited when the architect for a new New York restaurant called requesting to license two large Panorama prints from PEI. Christine Restaino from CR + DZ Architects had found my images online while searching for PEI Panoramas. We spent the next few weeks emailing back and forth, confirming images sizes, shipping proofs to New York and operating under a tight deadline for the restaurant opening.

Chrisine and her clients, Bobby and Alex Shapiro from FLEX Mussels, settled on two images that were created one cloudy and windy day near Cavendish. The above images of the Covehead lighthouse truly capture the spirit of Prince Edward Island, right down to the lobster trap on the beach. Now, these images are featured at the new Flex Mussels Restaurant (at 154 West 13th Street). The first (blue) is a HUGE 16 foot print done in a lightbox style (printed by Duggal). By all accounts, absolutely beautiful and you should check it out. (That is 5.33 meters for those of us in the 21st century.)

The restaurant opens this Wednesday, so, next time you are hungry in New York, stop by for some Island fare and enjoy the view.

Do you want to see this image and other panoramas from around the world, click.