Sometimes we have to work in tight quarters while covering politics at the state capitol in Frankfort. Unlike how Hollywood depicts us covering this type of event, the press generally get along and we are not elbowing one another to make a picture. At a short event like the one where Lt. Governor Pence announced he would not seek re-election, most of the television reporters stay put with their big old cameras on tripods, Ed Reinke, of the AP (on a knee above), a couple of other still photogs and myself try to stay out of their line of sight while trying to get our photos.

When covering a short (nine minute, I think) press conference, a good plan of attack is to get there early and stake out your spot, check the lighting conditions. We had a low, white ceiling outside the Lt. Governor’s office, so I bounced my flash off that. After I got my medium distance shot, I crouched down like Ed to get a really tight shot of his facial expressions, then stepped back to get as much of the room in the frame as I could.  We are expected to give our editors several options in pictures with varying composition, facial expressions and head size relative to the frame, so the photos could run large or small, independently or in a package.  Luckily, I don’t work in Washington, where press conferences are a daily event. 

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