After a busy couple of weeks I finally have some time to sit down and update my website. I’ve added a gallery from my time on the 2008 presidential campaign trail. So far I’ve spent some time with five of the candidates vying for their party nomination. Photographing these events can be frustrating, and rewarding at the same time however. It is a lot of hurry up and wait (note the recurring theme of this profession), you show up 2 hours early, get set up, scope things out, talk to the handlers, and then wait. When the time comes you can be shoulder to shoulder with 10 other photographers trying to get the same shot as you, so hopefully all of the planning, and politicking and your instincts will take over and put you into a position where you can find a unique angle, when the moment comes.
The whole experience can be a draining one, and hopefully when the smoke clears, my editors and I will be happy with the result. Even though every time out hasn’t resulted in a home run, it has been a learning experience seeing how these campaigns work, and it will be interesting to see which candidate and strategy comes out on top in a years time. Until then time to celebrate the small successes, and get back to work telling stories… until next time.
Click here to view more photos from my time with the candidates.