But as the student movement gained momentum, Danu found his photographs were in demand among his peers. Indonesia's students continue to demonstrate for political change. Some students are skilled photographers. Others are not. But that doesn't necessarily matter.
Memorable images are often as much a result of serendipity as of training and equipment.
One difference is that students often work at greater personal risk than journalists. For some student photographers, the hardest part is not overcoming fear, but maintaining the coolheaded stance of an observer in what they feel is their own struggle. But I don't. Activist photography is an ironic legacy of Suharto's New Order regime. Growing urban prosperity created a middle class for whom cameras were no longer a luxury.