On a cold windy morning in March of 2011, I had the privilege and opportunity to board a chartered bus at the Meijers parking lot in Lafayette, Indiana with a friend who had retired from Alcoa. That bus along with buses across Indiana was headed to the "We Are Indiana" Worker's Rally at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. The purpose of the rally was to express opposition to current proposals in the Indiana legislature seeking to change the state's prevailing wage, right-to-work and collective bargaining laws. In particular, these proposed changes targeted teachers and other workers in the public and private sectors. Democratic legislators left the state for neighboring Illinois in an effort to postpone the vote.
In total, at least six buses left Lafayette that day (from Meijers and other locations). The Lafayette buses were sponsored by local United-Steelworkers, AFL-CIO, and NAACP affiliates. Since I went to the rally with camera in hand, the following gallery is my photo-essay of the cold, windy day's events. The photos mostly speak for themselves with their imaginative and passionate protestors and colorful signs.
These photos were taken with my Panasonic DMC camera. After I finished working with them in post-processing, they now appear more as paintings or drawings when viewed at larger sizes (which I like to make available to pull the viewer into the scene). For more of an idea of how to turn casual photos into "photo art" see my blog articles at http://www.secondlooks.blogspot.com.
Click on any image below to begin your gallery walk.
The following links provide more information on the March 10, 2011 "We Are Indiana" Worker's Rally:
