Last night I attended a local political debate in the wonderful city of Milton Georgia.  I had promised some people that I would get some photographs of the event and the interaction of folks attending.  So off with my camera I went.  After I took the promised shots, I started looking around and thinking about  David duChemin and his book “Within the Frame”.  David talks about vision and what is really going on in the photograph; not just what is in front of you, but what the scene is trying to convey. He forces you to think what people need to see to understand the subject of the image, not just see the subject matter.

As I thought about this, I realized that this event had multiple themes depending on your viewpoint.  It could be about the candidates and their positions; it could be about the city of Milton and the politics around it; or, as I ultimately felt, this forum was about the people of Milton and their ability to elect people that represented their views.  As I thought about this, I wondered what I could do to create that image that I saw in my mind.  I took this shot and that shot, but I really didn’t think I was getting it.  Until I looked outwards and saw it;  I was in the wrong position the entire time.  The shot was not of the faces of the candidates, but it was of their backs (out of focus) and the crowd looking at them.    Take a look below and let me know if you agree (or disagree).

PS: As the event was starting to come to a close, I was speaking to a local reporter, Jason Wright, for the Milton Herald .  He asked what I was shooting and I showed him a few shots that I had taken.  I pointed out the one that I felt really convened the evening.  Surprisingly, he asked if they could use it for their next edition.  This morning I sent the image over to them and I just heard that they are going to run with it.  Kind of a nice feeling to start the day.