Covering Anti-War Protests in NYC

Just recently, we’ve seen events unfold in the Middle East between Iran and the US that has captivated the world, spreading fear and concern on both sides. Tension and war has existed between the two countries for decades and has escalated recently with tit-for-tat strikes starting with an airstrike on an Iraqi Military base which killed to American contractors. This eventually led to a retaliation strike by the US in which Iranian militia groups responded by attacking US Embassy on New Years Eve. The situation became even more violent and direct when Trump ordered the attack top Iranian commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. This is of course a critical decision that may lead the US into war with Iran, all without a clear motive or long-term plan presented.

This sparked outcry from anti-war supporters in the US calling for a cease to seemingly senseless violence taking place in the middle-east which has now prompted a mobilization of US troops in preparation for battle. Throughout the nation groups marched in unison expressing their frustrations with the White House, calling it a display of imperialism and an excuse to give importance to an impeached president.

I followed this group on a misty Saturday morning, four days into the new decade, as they gathered in Times Square chanting and slowly marching towards downtown. I saw a multitude of other photographers and bystanders taking photographs and even chanting alongside the marchers. I stayed ahead trying my best to capture a good shot of those leading, which was difficult based on the amount of police officers standing by with their cluster of zip-ties at the ready.

What particularly interested me was a mother and child at the very from of the march. The mother, pushing her baby in the stroller while also chanting and walking with such confidence seemed to be symbol for what is at stake in war. Aside from economic costs, the costs bloodshed and turmoil families on both sides face is overwhelming to even think about. I didn’t get a chance to talk to the mother. I almost felt that her mysteriousness allowed that symbol to form in a powerful way for myself to ponder on.

In the crowd I also noticed a group of Filipino migrant workers who were holding their signs in Tagalog and chanting just as loud as anyone else. Seeing that I’m Filipino myself, I felt drawn to these men and women who looked like my own family. With that, and the combination of the mother and child, I was almost propelled to drop my camera and join! Of course I didn’t, but the sight of all of this was just more motivation to capture these moments in the best way I can.

Infrared: Works by JP Dalit

It’s the dawn of a new decade and I feel that within the past year I’ve accumulated quite a number of photographs that range from the streets of New York to the alleyways of Florence. A lot of photographers use the opportunity to put together a book displaying their technical work or the world through their eyes. Among thousands out there, I don’t believe I’m someone who can say they’re one of the best, I don’t believe that. I don’t even think someone who works in photography can necessarily say they’re better or worse than anyone else. This year, aside from a few other endeavor (like writing more on this site) I’m happy to announce that I’ll be putting out a photography book of my own.

Differing myself from other photographers only slightly, the work I hope to include in this series involve simply a depiction of life as it is. I’m heavily influenced by early pioneers in the world of candid photography like Saul Lieter, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and even war photographers like Chris Hondros. The talent behind them doesn’t come in the editing or lighting, instead their achievements reflect their ability to work with the tools they have and take a photograph of a scene while also being there to live it. They don’t seem to disrupt the field of life as do most professionals do in order to obtain the best composition possible.

I value work that lets life speak for itself. Walking through New York City, know that you won’t ever come home without encountering the ridiculous, mundane and extraordinary. All of which are important to me. To me, it means that life can be very rich, though at times terrifying, to experience every level is be human. We thrive off of the emotions we feel every day, the sounds we hear, the light we see, and the emotions we feel between each other. Some might ask what can photography do in regards to this, and I say that through visual stimulation images can serve as a reminder of what we are simply through what’s seen through the lens. Quite honestly, I think the more raw the image the better to experience the humanity behind the person taking the picture.

We are all artist looking to communicate something in the best way possible, and similar to how I feel about all forms of art, if you can’t execute your message in the most interesting way or if you end up not having something interesting to say in the first place, then that’s where improvement should be. It all really depends on the context of course, but I value art through the thoughts that have gone into deciding a piece was good enough to share.

As for this book, I plan on calling it Infrared. The idea of light is such a powerful thing. It’s what we need to live, and to be alive. It’s also what allows us to create art, all while being a force we can’t even see. With that being said, Infrared is just that; it’s a portion of the spectrum that you don’t necessarily need to see even if you could, rather it’s something you feel. It has its dangerous side, as well as importance in sustaining life. So I view a lot of my work similarly in that it’s mainly about what’s in the image and how you absorb it to understand humanity more so that artistic fundamentals.

Of course every photographer is met with a question of what they’re shooting with and to me, what I shoot with isn’t important. Though I usually display my instrument of choice on an image I post on social media if you’re interested either way.