Obama, Part Three

In the past it was unusual that a president, any president, would visit Phoenix once in any given term, let alone three times in one year.
I had the opportunity to photograph Obama for the third time this year as he spoke to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix.

According the the press release, equipment had to be in place for the security sweep between 3 and 4.

AM that is.

Interestingly, only one other photog was there that early along with a number of TV folks setting up their sticks, staking their claims on the press riser.

I staked my claim, affixing a business card to the floor in my chosen spot an then vacated so the secret service and police to could do their security sweep of the hall an the building.

So, at 4 am, there I am in an otherwise deserted downtown Phoenix.... nothing to do but find somewhere to sit and read my book.

Fortunately the lobby of the Hyatt nearby offered a comfy spot to read until the bagel and coffee shop opened. By then I felt as if I had been traveling all night and was stuck in an airport waiting for the next flight and needed, as my brother-in-law likes to say, to pour a big cup of coffee in my eyes.

After sharing a calm and pleasant bi-partisan chat with a couple of convention attendees in the bagel shop, I headed back to the media camp on Third Street.

By the time the doors reopened for media, about 7:30 am, the protesters had begun assembling and my pickup had been hemmed in by two tv satelight trucks. Cool.

Obama arrived about 10:15 in spite of two different pieces of info that said he would speak at 10:30 and at 11. The organizers had set up two risers, one with a straight on view and another from one side with flag positioned as a huge background. Obama spoke long enough so that I had time to use both vantage points for a variety of photographs. This is pretty important as when I shoot for Corbis and there was usually another Corbis guy in the White House press pool who has up close access. I have to work hard to make some images that he can't.

With all of this, once you get down to business it is just that. Photograph a speaker, using as many angles and elements as you possibly can to make a variety of good, usable images. Oh and by the way, they guy in the photo is the President of the United States.....

For a few more pix, the Corbis address is pro.corbis.com, then search for Obama, D'Elia