Photographer Speaks on Experiences in the Ferguson, Missouri Riots

Kris Trgovich is a photography student at The Art Institute of St. Louis. He has spent
most of his nights during the events in Ferguson right in the center of it all. Even after being tear gassed multiple nights and threats of arrest he has pushed on to create artful, accurate depictions of what has been going on. Despite being a full time student, he stayed out until 2 or 3 a.m. photographing and then spent several more hours uploading photos and preparing gear to go out again. Trgovich is using these photos to create a photo essay and plans to have it printed as a book. He plans to continue to photograph and follow the story through the recovery of the community and the possible trial. You can follow him on twitter at @ktrgovich

How did it all start?

“I was downtown (St. Louis) photographing a different story, and I got a text message that said I should check the news because something is going on in Ferguson. I looked it up on my phone and I headed off in that direction. I was not expecting to get any farther than just exiting the highway and for it all to be blocked off by the police. I was surprised that when I got to West Florissant Avenue I was able to get off the highway and drive around. It was pandemonium. I rolled my windows down and you could smell the tear gas in the air.”

“I drove through a couple shopping centers and there were people smashing in windows and just running in and out of stores with armfuls of stuff…I drove around trying to figure out what was going on, shooting photos as I could. SWAT trucks started rolling in and clearing people out and it got even more hectic. But after the police would leave to clear another area the looters would return and continue stealing things. After awhile I decided it would be best if I got out of the way, so I went home.”

Did covering these events ever scare you?

“Sure I knew there were dangers. It was apparent from the get go that the things that
were happening were very serious and the chance of injury or even death were high, but once I started getting a grip on the situation and started talking to people I realized that they weren't hostile towards me. What they’re concerned with is the actions of police and getting justice for Mike Brown. They were actually happy we were there getting their story out. That gave me some security, but I still had to convince my family this was the case. That was the hard part.”

What did you learn from the protesters after talking to them?

“I figured out that there was a definite divide. There was peaceful protesters that actually had a cause…They wanted justice and change. But the crowd would change once it started getting dark, younger people began showing up and congregating in parking lots. They ended up being the people who would stick around and have the clashes with the police. This was frustrating at times because they were getting innocent people caught in the crossfire”

How did the dangerous rioters make you feel?

“One night in particular they made us (photographers) uncomfortable. They were standoffish and very serious individuals. They were vocal in the fact that they were here to fight the police and that they didn't care if they died at the hands of the police. Guns were flashed and gang signs were thrown up. We heard gun shots multiple nights including this one.”

Where you ever close to any of the gun shots?

“Oh yeah, definitely. The night it rained really hard we were standing there and while
police were advancing, trying to clear people out and firing tear gas. I was standing on the sidewalk between the police line and the protesters. All of a sudden 8 to 10 gun shots go off really close, so everyone drops for cover… I turn to the street and see a police car making a U-turn in the middle of the street and speed off. I hear people screaming and begin trying to figure out what was going on. We ran around the corner and I see they are all crowded around this guy and they were screaming that he had got shot and they were in a panic trying to figure out what to do. They quickly realized that no ambulance would come for obvious reasons so someone pulled their car up and put him in the back seat and took him to the a local hospital. Later we found out he got shot in the stomach twice and was in critical condition. The next day I came to the realization that the only thing between me and the guy who got shot was a fenced in parking lot. That shook me up a bit.”

Do you feel like these photos where worth it?

“Oh definitely. This is something I will never forget. I put my heart and all of my energy into this. Fortunately my instructors have been very understanding and supportive and have given me leeway on some assignments so I could dedicate more time to these photos. My family, once they realized I was going to continue doing this even after they begged me not to, were very supportive as well.”

What do you want your photos to communicate?

“I really worked hard to be objective when I was photographing this. I didn’t want to
just tell one story. I want to tell all sides of the story. Trying to remain objective in what many would consider a war zone is difficult at times. Just shooting everything of visual interest was really my strategy. I ended up with about 10,000 pictures (so far) that I still have to go through. I feel like I covered both the cops side of these clashes and the protesters. I also worked hard to cover the daytime rallies and marches that were peaceful after I had a couple conversations where protesters felt that the national media was not showing the real Ferguson and the real meaning of these events.”

Have you communicated with the cops?

“Through the events and especially in the last few days I have had multiple conversations with the police… It helped me better understand both sides. The people that were protesting felt like their rights were being infringed on because they were getting cleared out. But often times the officers had valid reasons for trying to disperse the crowds. Mainly because it got too dangerous, violent situations occurred that needed to be dealt with. Most of the officers were very adamant that they want people to be able exercise to their right to protest. But they noticed, as I have, that there are two different groups out there. It’s unfortunate that there are opportunists out there that take advantage of the situation for their own agenda.”

“After the Highway Patrol took over there was a situation where people took advantage of the new hands off approach of the police and looted some local businesses… it was really traumatic for the officers because they were told to stand down. They had to watch as people’s businesses were broken into and they couldn't do anything about it, all in the name of reducing conflict.”

What advice can you offer to other journalists and photographers looking to cover events like
this?

"First off, once this caught national media attention journalists flocked from all over the place. Professional photographers, working photographers, and semiprofessional photographers who were trying to build a portfolio were down there. A lot of people hadn't been in situations like this before… They were causing more issues than they were helping. They got in the way and got in the middle of dangerous situations and that caused the police to kinda turn on the media. In the beginning they were really accommodating and concerned for our well being. The protesters also began giving us the cold shoulder. This was frustrating to me and other photographers who have been covering this from the beginning."

“My advice is unless you have some sort of experience with situations like this you should hang back and stay out of the way in the beginning. Get a grip on the situation and talk to people first. I know everyone is trying to get “the shot”, but by diving head first into dangerous situations, you are endangering yourself and everyone around you. Use caution and common sense in all situations and stay alert to your surroundings. Talk to other photographers that have been on the scene, most are friendly and we look out for one another. When I began covering this I only had some journalistic experience and only a vague idea what was going on. I have done tons of research and kept up to date with all of the new developments. Being a mini expert on the subject definitely came in handy and made it easier to accurately capture the story on the ground.”

How do you feel about these riots? Would you be willing to risk your safety for the sake of art? I would love to hear your thoughts! Also, you can ask Kris some questions and I'll make sure you get an answer!

Update!!

Kris is continuing to follow this story! Be sure to follow his twitter to catch up on everything that is happening!

Protesters being detained last night at the QT sit in. #FergusonOctober #Ferguson #ShawShooting pic.twitter.com/HelkebJ1Rx
— Kris Trgovich (@ktrgovich) October 12, 2014