WRITING CULTURE 2012: Film, Food & Beyond

(PIC: latest news link)

The Live From Studio H team decided to look at the photo slide shows from the DNC. The Times separates the shows by day, so 3 days of the convention, equals 3 stunning sets of shots which depict an energetic convention, bathed in blue light and brimming with character.

An effective photo story , requires a whole host of complex things to come together in order for it to be a useful tool in telling the story of an event. It has to give you just enough context, some feeling of atmosphere, a view of what really was going on, both in front of and behind the scenes, and best of all, who are the characters involved. The Times coverage does all of these things and more.

Let me say this. It’s hard to take any type of picture at a political convention that doesn’t appear like an advertisement for the Democratic party. The room is designed that way. The lighting is blue, there are numerous banners and posters at every strategic angle, and all the speakers wear patriotic colors that don’t clash with the screens behind them. But The Times images still manage to throw up a few surprises, (and by surprises, I mean not just the same old typical shots that a myriad of other news sources are currently running with on their websites) the ‘Yes We Can’ sneakers and Obama 08 Yamaka spring to mind.

The day 1 shots of the entrance and outside areas add greatly in setting the scene in a way that TV crews can’t capture, and the images of the staff preparing the flooring and wiping down the podium intensifies the feeling that we are getting a fully rounded view of what it really takes to stage such a momentous event.

I wonder though, is there a missed opportunity for Obama here? Perhaps he should have drafted in Nicole Ritchie to stage an ‘America’s next top Obama wear designer’ competition. It’s clear from the photos that people continue to rock a plethora of Obama infused attire the likes of which I thought were relegated to the backs of the wardrobe since November 5th 2008. It’s clothing that defies any reasonable categorization on the basis of style or taste, but boy, it screams enthusiasm. This is simply about repping for the president in the best and most unique way you know how, and these photographs capture this and convention life as a whole in all its crazy, diverse beauty.