People, symbols and texts are some of the things you have to work with. People’s gestures, expressions, pose, relationships – are vital. Clothes as well as signs and objects can be important symbols; sometimes there may be significant background or outside object you can make use of.
Texts will be mainly those on placards and banners, though occasionally others intrude, and of course there are the captions that you may add to the photographs. It is often important that at least some of your photographs clearly identify the event and show what it is about, and including banners can often be a good way to help do that. You also need to watch for possible distractions or useful distortions that can be caused by the cropping of part of the text.
Try to vary your work. It is all too easy to take all your pictures from the same distance, rather than including some long views and some close-ups as well as working at a moderate distance. Using different lenses helps too. Don’t forget you can crouch down to get a different view, and occasionally there may be possibilities of a higher viewpoint – particularly useful for an overall view of an event. Obstructions – such as traffic bollards – in the way of a march can be a useful place to stand where the march will flow round you, without you getting in the way.
Generally speeches are made from a microphone close to the front of a platform, and it is seldom possible to get into a good position to photograph the speakers from the platform. If you don’t have accreditation you may well not be allowed on the platform, although some events are more open than others. At one event last year where I was the official photographer I found myself having to explain that I could not take pictures without access – security can get out of hand at times.
The alternative, which often leads to better pictures – is to photograph from the floor in front of the platform, or from further back with a longer lens. The closer viewpoint may mean looking up at quite a steep angle, while the longer shot tends to give a flatter and less interesting perspective. One common problem is finding a viewpoint where the microphone doesn’t get in the way – and it isn’t always possible.