MCA Photojournalist Documents Historical Times
Demonstrator waves sign to be peaceful as the crowd began to vandalize police cruisers. Photo by Anthony BIbian
By Staff Writer
Madalyn Corral,
Sean Hiller
MCA alumni and Leuzinger graduate Anthony Bibian and his camera have seen the civil unrest in the streets of Los Angeles. Everything from Black Lives Matter demonstrations, along with protests in response to the murder of George Floyd, to the jubilation in the streets for President Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election. Bibian has charged into action donning a helmet and a gas mask to protect himself from police rubber bullets and pepper spray.
After Bibian graduated in 2017 he took the skills he learned in the MCA and ran with them. “So when I graduated I really took photography to heart, it was something I really enjoyed,” Bibian said. His website that he began building while in school shows his short, but colorful experience in the field. “ Your website talks for you, it can even sometimes speak louder than you can.”
Covering protests is exciting but dangerous. “I got shot {by a rubber bullet} by accident at a protest. I heard shots go off and when I looked up, I randomly saw it… I got shot on my thigh and It dropped me,” Bibian said as he shared his story as a virtual guest speaker for the MCA this Spring. “Officer Ramirez shot me, I will never forget it,” Bibian recalls.
Like many who participated in the 2020/2021 protests, know how dangerous it can be. Protests of this sort, fighting for racial equality can get passionate as we've all seen on the news. Anthony said it was tough working with the authorities trying to keep order. “ The police would bum us, journalists, they didn't care, you could wear a full gear, but if you were in their way, you're gone!”
Being a photojournalist is a very dangerous but necessary job. You get a variety of assignments around the city and report on stories that affect people’s lives. The freelance industry is unreliable, Bibian says. “ You never know what's going to happen.” Many photojournalists are freelance employees. They work and sell their content to major media outlets and post on social media. The news is only one part of the business. Bibian shoots weddings, events, and concerts. He says the MCA helped him build confidence. “ I found this new confidence in myself that allowed me to now go talk to clients.”
Bibian enjoys being a photojournalist. He loves being a witness to life. “The fact that it's candid, makes it real.” These moments are what push him to go find the next big event or challenges him to capture special moments that tell the story through his lens. He says “ You can't recreate emotions.”
Emotions of both sadness and frustration over the killing of George Floyd overwhelm demonstrators at a BLM March at downtown city hall in Los Angeles. Photo by: Anthony Bibian
LAPD sets up a skirmish line against large crowd of protesters as a unlawful assembly is declared in Fairfax after police vehicles were vandalized. Photo by: Anthony Bibian