History in the Making With Danielle Moir
Editorial photographer Danielle Moir’s move to lower Manhattan couldn’t have come at a more fortuitous time for her (or a more tumultuous time for the city). A few months before the Occupy Wall Street protesters set up shop in Zuccotti Park, Danielle was occupying a new apartment close by. Although the protests were loudly bemoaned as a nuisance by her neighbors, Danielle saw an opportunity to document the controversial demonstrations. “I didn’t understand the people who were complaining about the protests. I felt so lucky to bear witness to this. Just being there meant that I was a part of history in the making,” recalls Danielle.
“I was so lucky to be able to cover it all year long. I always have my camera with me, and on any given day I could literally turn the corner and have 100 people running at me with police chasing them.” For an ex-photo producer who chose to transition to a career behind a viewfinder, this was a golden opportunity. It was a fantastic chance to break out of the “producer” mindset and start seeing things from a more creative and conceptual stance. “There’s this wall that comes down when my face is behind a camera,” Danielle comments about her transition.
The above shot, in particular, is one of Danielle’s favorites from all of the OWS photos she took. Going down to Zuccotti Park for the day, Danielle was armed with three cameras and multiple lenses in a backpack. The scene that day was pure chaos, with police attempting to direct traffic while throngs of protesters swelled in the streets. Danielle was able to capture the perfect image to depict that day’s events. The photo features light streaming beautifully between buildings, a harried policeman barking orders, disheveled protesters marching along, and even a lone Wall Street businessman looking on the scene with repulsion. If one photo captured the protests from all perspectives, it is this one.
For more of Danielle’s fantastic editorial and lifestyle shots, visit her FoundFolios portfolio.