In the eye

No pic this time, just a link because I wanted to have this for my own future use as much as anyone reading my blog. This is a link to a New York Times-hosted discussion about photography during the previous presidency and I thought it was interesting to read insights from the photo editors who direct and support the White House press photographers. Personally, one photo from the past presidency that has always leapt to mind is of him looking out the window of Air Force One at the devastation of New Orleans. It touched a nerve. Of course, that was the point of selecting that photo to run (two versions are shown and discussed). However, after two decades of being in or working with the media, I should have really thought more about the image, why it was picked, how it was set up. I was surprised to see one of the photo editors agree with the White House view that landing the President in the disaster area would have diverted urgently-needed resources from the police and emergency services, which is of course fair enough. But again, as with "Mission Accomplished" or the shots of a solitary President returning to the Oval Office, you have to ask, what were his handlers thinking?