In the year 2025, protests and marches are becoming increasingly larger and are happening more often, so it's likely that as a photographer you will be hired cover one. Or perhaps you feel strongly about a cause and want to help by using your talents as a photographer to further spread a political message. Either way, it's good to do a little bit of preparation ahead of time.
Photographing a political rally or political march can be both exciting and exhausting. In order to properly capture the event, you'll essentially have to be a participant: you'll assemble where the protestors assemble, listen to the speakers of the event, and go wherever the march goes. Here are some of my tips for covering a political march.
Get to the Staging Area Early
Try to show up about an hour before the event begins. There won't be many people around aside from the organizers and perhaps the police setting up barricades. Introduce yourself and talk to the event organizers or event marshals if you can. They are usually helpful and can give you specific information about what is planned, the route, how many people they expect, what happens after the event is over and any last-minute changes to any of the above. They may even offer you a temporary press pass or "behind the scenes" access, depending on how large and serious the event is.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
You will be on your feet all day long. If it's a march, you'll have to walk with the protestors in order to capture everything. In almost every case, you'll be walking on the streets, on concrete and pavement, and you'll be moving around a lot in order to get the shots you need. Comfortable shoes will keep your feet from getting sore. I actually bought a pair of sneakers just for these types of events.
Be Prepared to Deal With the Weather
If it's going to be a hot Spring or Summer day, don't forget to apply lots of sunblock, wear loose & lightweight clothing, and wear a hat. You will be out in the hot sun for several hours. If the event takes place in the winter, be sure to wear clothing that's warm enough without being so bulky that you're physically limited. No matter what the season, always bring water or a sports drink. You may not realize how dehydrated you can become while walking, moving around and shooting for hours, even in cold weather. If the forecast calls for rain, bring some method to protect your gear if it's not waterproof. A classic photographer or news cameraman trick is to cover the entire exterior of the camera body with a simple clear plastic bag, allowing only the very front of the lens element to be exposed to the wet conditions.
Ask People to Pose (Or Just Hold Up Their Signs For You)
The point of a political march or rally is to be seen and have one's voice heard. People are usually more than happy to have their photo taken. While candid shots are great and should make up the bulk of your photos, a few posed shots can really help to capture the feel of the event and humanize it. At recent political rallies (such as in the year 2025 in the United States), people may not want their faces shown out of fear of retribution from authorities. In this case, take a photo of whatever sign they are holding.
Look Out For Any Trouble
A political issue that inspires people so much that they assemble to rally and march will probably bring out a lot of emotion in them while they're on the streets. Sometimes these emotions can get out of control. As a photographer, you're there to capture what happens, but be sure to keep yourself (and your gear) safe. If someone seems a bit too aggressive for your tastes, move away from them. In addition, some marches tend to bring out opposition protestors, which can lead to open conflict. Be cautious of situations like this, since they can spiral out of control quickly.
Be Prepared to Be Jostled Around
You'll be among a large crowd with active and fired up people, so it can't be helped if people accidentally bump into you, step on your feet, or knock into you from behind -- and you might be guilty of accidentally doing it too! It's nothing personal and not a big deal. Just be mindful of your photography equipment so it doesn't get damaged. Keep your camera close to your body and don't let it swing around.
If you are worried about your gear getting damaged at a particularly active protest, consider leaving your best gear at home and bringing an older camera with an inexpensive kit lens. Because most protests will happen during the daytime and thus in bright lighting conditions, the image quality will be just fine, even using an older sensor and a cheap lens.
Use a Zoom Lens
This is one of the few times you'll hear me say not to bother with prime lenses. Instead, use a zoom with a good range (24mm to 120mm is my favorite). You'll often need to go from wide to close-up very quickly, and because of the crowd you may not always be in the position to get the shot you want. You will often be too far away, and the crowd will make it impossible to "zoom with your feet" with a prime lens.
Many protests this year (2025) have been huge, with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, sometimes making it impossible to move around easily.
Consider Obscuring Faces When Doing Your Final Edits
If you're covering something highly sensitive or perhaps of questionable legality where participants may be endangered if they can be identified, consider blurring or otherwise obscuring their faces and any other distinctive personal details about them if you plan to post the photos to social media. In these times, many people who do not want to be identified will likely be wearing masks at protests, but if you are unsure either blur their face or don't post the photo at all.
Spread the Message Properly
If your set of photos is intended for social media to help further a particular cause or movement, then use the correct hashtags (Instagram, Tumblr, BlueSky) or topic (Threads) to make sure your images are found. Use whatever hashtags, terms or naming conventions that the organizers use. The point is to contribute to the total body of media. Your work and efforts will have an impact.
These are my tips for photographing a political march or a rally. If you have a question or any other tips, feel free to email me or follow me on Instagram.
All photos in this article were taken at the 50501 "Hands Off!" rally in New York City on April 5th, 2025 using an old Panasonic Lumix G3 camera and an Olypmus 14-42mm kit zoom lens.