As I work photo assignments at various public political events it is not uncommon to entertain questions about the equipment on my shoulder, especially when the candidate is late. Usually it is a fun way to meet people and pass the time. Typically the questions involve lens types, equipment costs, or requests for suggestions on upgrading gear. Unless I’m pressed for time, I am usually happy to engage in a bit of conversation. But today was a weird one, even for Friday the 13th.
Spartanburg GOP Bronze Elephant Dinner | ©2012 David Allio for Corbis
A disheveled guy in the crowd asked his first question, then made a disparaging remark at my answer. Then came a second question. He responded with another differential comment. By the time the third question came around, I was not sure what to expect. As he finally seemed to be ready to get lost in the crowd he tossed the following comment over his shoulder, “Oh, I’m a photographer, too.”
Now it was my turn to ask him, “Where’s your camera?”
He responded, “I just didn’t feel like bringing it today.”
As he disappeared into the milling crowd I sadly wondered to myself, “What kind of photographer comes to meet a candidate for the office of President of the United States and doesn’t bring any sort of camera?”
In today’s photo, a foreign press member grabs a personal photo from outside the Spartanburg GOP Bronze Elephant Dinner at James F. Byrnes High School. My camera was a Nikon D3 with an AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm 1:2.8G ED lens set to 29mm. The exposure was an aperture of f/4 ,with a shutter speed of 1/125th of a second, and a film speed of 6400 ISO.
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