Looking Back on the Inauguration: When a Small Camera Made a Big Difference
Scenes from two Presidential Inaugurations photographed for TIME Magazine.
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The first time I photographed Inauguration was for TIME magazine in 2017. I was overwhelmed to witness such a historic event in such a strange year. I was also incredibly cold. My POV was documenting the incoming President as he made his way up the Capitol back stairs, while the soon-to-be former President was whisked away on Air Force One. The wind chill on that senselessly early morning was a balmy 3 degrees. The entrance of the President wasn't expected until 10 a.m., but the call-time for the press photographers was inexplicably (and rather callously) set at 6 a.m. For four very long hours, I regretted everything — not dressing warmer, taking this assignment, becoming a photographer. Then Trump and Obama descended the stairs and despair was briefly replaced with adrenalin. The whole shoot took about five minutes. After, I swore to myself never to photograph any Inauguration ever again.
Fast-forward to December, 2020. I get a call from TIME to photograph another Inauguration. Remembering the bitter cold, the unforgiving morning hours, the debilitating pain in my shoulders after carrying around a 400 telephoto lens, I thought, "no way" as I heard myself saying, "Yes, I would love to."
This time, however, I was going to make some adjustments.