The Obama camp did a much better job managing their photography in this election and while I don’t think you can control everything that happens I still think people underestimate what can be done with photography.
When I saw these Obama rally photos (here) I thought, how can you not believe in the power of photography to deliver a message. I was told by someone who used to help politicians with photography for a living that the way you get images like this is make the photographers stand in a certain place so the only photograph they can take is that one.
Good Morning America ran this picture (here) yesterday morning with Diane Sawyer saying “what a photograph.”
Folio Mag, Covers of the campaign (here).
Powell cites a Platon photo when endorsing Obama (here).
If the intersection of politics and photography interests you visit this site: http://www.bagnewsnotes.com
Side Note– Over on FiveThirtyEight.com: “Ever since Brett Marty started taking photographs for the site, our traffic has skyrocketed (here).”
Thanks Allison, Ryan.
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The US elections in Large Format by Jean-Robert DANTOU
http://www.picturetank.com/___/series/f092f72e3cf65d36d7844d01bef308a3/en/DAJ_(office).html
and an very large exemple:
http://www.picturetank.com/html/dantou_denver_1.html
An other exemple:
http://www.picturetank.com/html/dantou_denver_2.html
Jeff Riedel has a great one of Obama in the latest issue of GQ. It’s in the slideshow on their website here: http://men.style.com/gq/features/campaign08
It’s the very last shot in the slideshow.
#2
Brandon, thanks for the link, that’s one powerful image. Like he’s just standing there waiting for it all to come true, drinking in that atmosphere.
I also really like spontaneity in the Mike Huckabee shot (I assume that’s a Platon).
Wow, that Jeff Riedel project. Is that a dream job or what? What a promo piece would come out of that one!
These are the questions I’d have about the Riedel project:
1. How was the edit done? Did Riedel submit “his frame”, or did the editorial staff (and the writer) at GQ edit the finals?
2. I’d love to hear from Riedel himself, about how he felt his own personal feelings about each subject influenced how he concepted each portrait, and how he lit it.
2b. How objective could any one human being be, even if they were attempting to stay neutral, and right in the middle of the road?
3. I wonder what briefs, and what inside communication, happened between the GQ editorial staff, and Riedel, beforehand, as he was shooting each portrait.
4. I’d love to know what much time (or how little) he had with each situation.
5. Would love to know if he had the gumption to shoot 4×5 in such a pressure situation. Which ones were view camera and which ones were roll camera?
6. I’d love to know his personal politics.
7. What I’m struck by, as I view those images, is how the edit can so greatly influence the tone of each portrait. The photographer has a GREAT deal of power in these situations. How to light it, perspective, overall feeling, even down to what to look for in when to press the shutter release. How could anyone be objective here?
@Appreciative,
I have a phone interview with Riedel about the project set for tomorrow and I will ask him these questions along with a few of my own. I’ll post the answers as soon as I can write it up.
Hey Rob,
What happened w/ this interview? Very interested to read it?
Emily
Damon Winter also took some amazing photos of Obama for the NY Times.
They appear in color here – http://www.nytsyndicatephotos.com/Production/PhotoGroupView.aspx?pbid=4&msa=1&pgid=19647987&ipp=24&sort=0&page=0&slid=bea4ae93-4ab5-4ab5-9869-a66c607527a3
But they also appear as much stronger B+W images in this year’s Communication Arts Photography Annual.
You are right! I went crazy on this Press conferences and News events that I called photo safaris! From shear mutiny I started a project where on this press events I take a pictures of flower bouquets with famous powerful people in the background, unfocused and irrelevant. Sort of Garry Winogrand Hommage. Here are pictures of George Bush during his visit in Slovenia:
http://borutpeterlin.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/george-bush-and-flower-power-project/
Oh… The name of the project is Flower Power.
B5
My favorite shot still is the shot Peter Yang did of Obama for Rolling Stone a few months ago… Not sure why, but I just like it.
http://guterman.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/obama-rs.jpg
The Leica Gallery in New York recently had a show of photos from Obama’s campaign trail called: Obama, The Historic Campaign in Photographs. A book of images and commentary accompanies the show.
I recently wrote about it on our blog:
http://stone-thrower.com/2008/10/15/tis-the-seasonfor-politics/
Yes WE CAN and YES WE HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome collection of Obama photos.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/the_next_president_of_the_unit.html
my election night photos from grant park chicago http://adjustmentlayer.blogspot.com
With pictures like that it’s hard to even imagine things going in McCain’s favor.
Also check out Scout Tufanjian’s site:
http://www.scouttufankjian.com/main.php
She traveled for months on end with Obama on the campaign trail.
The photo coverage of US election is always impressive.
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