I've been working the past few weeks on a series of portraits for the new issue of (Bloomberg) BusinessWeek and was happy to see how everything came out when my issue arrived yesterday. The shoots brought me down to Capitol Hill twice, the Federal Reserve, FCC and finally to the Treasury Building where a planned day of shooting interiors turned into a day shooting the outside of the building. I've been thinking a little about the nature of these interactions with politicians and other public figures and to what degree I should (or can) impose some level of control on them.

Senators Bob Corker and Mark Warner for BusinessWeek

Most of my working method involves finding an interesting setting or visual idea, placing the subject into this space and seeing what happens. Besides some minor direction in terms of posture and directing their gaze, I tend to let the subject settle naturally into whatever pose or expression feels right to them.


Pat Parkinson for BusinessWeek

The problem with this is that for all the control I impose with the lighting and environment, I'm leaving the more interesting elements like body language and expression to the subject. In some ways, I think this approach comes from my photojournalistic background, where I never controlled a subject or photo and was always content to just hang tight and wait for things to happen. The issue here lies with the media savvy politician who is hyper aware of how they're are portrayed and will rarely give me something meaningful to work with.

At least, that's how I used to think.

The more basic truth is that we are all human (I know, I know, is it possible to be more obvious?) and that it's just plain difficult for even the most seasoned public figure to completely stage manage their life and how they're portrayed. Furthermore, subjects continually surprise me in how they act in front of the camera, often doing way more interesting things than I could ever have planned for. Just like in photojournalism, it goes back to the personal connection with the subject, anticipating the real moments and being honest and upfront with them about your desire to create something meaningful.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski for BusinessWeek

And if your subject decides to use the time scheduled for your photo shoot to hold a meeting with their communications director, maybe the best you'll get is them adjusting their tie.

All of these shoots resulted in some more shots I liked, here are a few of them.

"Robert Siegel is a respected colleague, a perfect companion, a great reporter, and the Walter Cronkite of our time- the man who informs me who's winning on election night. Is that enough flattery for me to get away with calling him a dang fool? How could he not sample the cakes described in this book?"

To the editorial photographer, I'm not sure there are eight words more depressing than these, as you're led to yet another conference room, with the same fluorescent lights, tired wall art and dusty, plastic tree in the corner.

Typically, this is where the negotiation begins - the polite request for a tour of the office, the hope for something that might catch your eye, and the gentle suggestions that the best photo might be on the roof, or among the office park's creative landscaping, or anywhere, anywhere except under those buzzing lights.

So when I was called by BusinessWeek to photograph the CEO of the largest pork producer in the world, and I'd just driven a long four hours through hard rain with the expectation of hearing just that phrase, it felt heaven-sent to have a kind secretary welcome me in from the rain, saying, "You can shoot wherever you want."

Even better, when not 30 feet from the door sits the aforementioned pig. I ended up shooting two other setups throughout the office, but it was clear the pig won and I'll happily take another dozen conference rooms for another opportunity like this one.

A few more that I liked:

Steve Elmendorf for BusinessWeek