I hesitated to write about this shoot given how polarized our politics have become, but then I said “Fuck it, it is a great story.” Please try not to read any political endorsement into this and enjoy the tale of a photographer meeting some famous people.
Many Octobers ago, I did the official holiday card photo for the Biden family when he was Obama’s VP. I first met the charming second lady, Jill, while take pictures at an event for the American Red Cross. I remember when she gave me a big hug and I didn’t know how to react. There were secret service everywhere. If I hugged back too hard would I take two slugs to my center mass?! I survived and two years later her staff remembered me when they were looking for a photographer to take family portraits for the annual holiday card.
As an aside, politicians of all stripes tend to be charming devils. I once met Jorge 40, the infamous paramilitary leader who had killed 40 or so people to earn his nickname. It was at a demobilization event for the press where I was taking portraits. They had lunch prepared for the media, and he smiled at me warmly and asked me if I had tried the soup. For a minute my brain was like “Wow, what a nice guy!” Sociopathy plus charm is wicked combo.
(Below is an awkward photo of me, Dr. Jill and Santa Claus from the first meeting. No photos with Jorge, sorry).
Anywho, I accepted the Biden assignment right away, and then ran to the bathroom for some spirited stress puking. I was nervous for weeks, waking up at three in the morning worrying about potential mishaps! “What if my lights fail? What if it rains? I have to get some more backup equipment, more lights, 17 assistants, extra batteries, cameras, lenses… What if, what if, what if?!?!”
Fortunately the weather and light were beautiful on the day of the shoot, the Bidens were friendly and disarming, and my overqualified assistant and good friend Michael Temchine was ready to take over if I fainted. Before the shoot, Joe himself strode up to me and said “What do you think about this shirt?!” I stammered for a second, then looked around to his staff for some backup. Nothing. “Don’t look at them he said, you’re the photographer!” Then I collected myself and told him that I thought the stripes were too bold and would be distracting in the photo. And so the future leader of the free world went upstairs to get changed. Because I told him to. I am large, I contain multitudes!
The moment I picked up my camera, stage fright dissolved and I began photographing and directing the portraits as I have done hundreds of times before. If anything, this shoot was easier than most as the Biden family is well used to the camera. I felt like I was working with commercial print models. I mainly had to worry about keeping the attention of Champ the dog and the two younger kids. The adults looked straight into the camera with perfect smiles and unblinking eyes.
Come to think of it, commercial print models don’t have nearly the experience getting photographed that politicians do. I met someone who photographed Bush Jr. hundreds of times greeting guests at a party. One snap per person, every one perfect. An aide is reported to have said “POTUS doesn’t blink.”