When covering news events where there is a lot of media interest, photographers are at the mercy of organizers giving them access to roam around and get good art. Two of my recent assignments — one in Boston and one in Virginia — demonstrated how some event officials have very different views on how to handle photographers.  

I was the only news photographer in attendance at the March 29 dinner before the dedication of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Boston. There were maybe four event photographers and a handful of reporters. I was relegated to a roped-off area where VIPs were having their photos taken in front of a “step and repeat” (a backdrop with the event’s branding).  

I was happy to get those pictures, but it would have been nice to photograph people naturally chatting with each other and incorporate what the space actually looked like. At one point, I was standing in the designated area and told not to shoot into the crowd — but to turn my attention toward the groups that were being organized in front of the backdrop. After about 400 pictures of former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., in front of the step and repeat, I began hovering outside the pen — just to test the waters to see how far I could move. I wasn’t told to go back in, so I took that as a good sign. However, I was close enough to catch Kennedy and Christopher J. Dodd talking.  

Earlier in the day, we took a tour of the life-size replica of the Senate floor. I thought if I was on the floor when the senators were mingling, that would probably best picture I was going to get. I asked if it was possible to take pictures on the floor and was told that wasn’t an option.  

From my penned position, I could see VIPs coming and going from the door of the replica Senate chamber. As all the public relations folks around me were occupied, I casually strolled out of the area and onto the Senate floor. Luckily, I saw Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., hanging out on a table and was able to quickly grab a few frames.  

I wanted to spend several minutes to get a shot that showed more of the room, but I didn’t want to be discovered. According to the time stamps on the images, I was only shooting for about 30 seconds. I was happy with the outcome considering that time frame. The picture ran on Roll Call’s front page to accompany Niels Lesniewski’s story .  

A week earlier, I was in Lynchburg, Va., for Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential announcement at Liberty University. It was held at an arena on campus and a Christian rock band warmed up the student crowd.  

Shortly before the event, Cruz’s people gathered about a dozen still photographers together and said, “We want you to get good pictures.” They told us we could go wherever we wanted and reminded us to be mindful of the guests and TV cameras. That was a good directive to hear. We were free to move around the floor of the arena and in the crowd. From what I saw, there were no problems among the photographers and Cruz’s people. It did get a little bunched up in front of Cruz at times, but luckily he was on a 360-degree stage and moved around frequently.  

It did get a little chaotic when he walked off stage as he greeted and took pictures with guests. Many people were standing on chairs and reporters who were seated — trying to write their stories — were displaced by the moving scrum.  

I didn’t have the best angles on that part of the day, but that was my fault and I’m glad I had the freedom to make that mistake.  

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