I’m in a bit of a unique situation and would love some insights or thoughts from fellow photographers. During the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign, I had the incredible opportunity to be the Director of Photography. As a result, I’m sitting on over a terabyte of Bernie Sanders imagery, arguably the world’s largest collection of photos of the Senator.
Post-campaign, I’ve been grappling with the idea of what to do with these images. Initially, I considered compiling them into a book, but as time has passed, I’m unsure if there’s still interest or relevancy in such a project. Given the nature of the content and the emotional journey that accompanied it, these images hold significant personal and historical value.
Inspired by a fellow Redditor’s post about the challenges of what to do with their photos in the era of changing social media algorithms, I find myself at a crossroads. They mentioned the idea of creating a virtual gallery or a blog as a repository for their work, which got me thinking.
Is there merit in pursuing a book or digital gallery for this extensive collection of campaign imagery? Or have I missed the window of opportunity where these photos would have had the most impact and relevance?
I’m curious to hear your thoughts or if anyone here has faced a similar dilemma with their photography work. How do you decide the fate of your photos, especially those tied to significant events or periods in your life?
Sorry if this feels a bit open-ended, but I guess I’m trying to navigate through a mix of creative uncertainty and the desire to do justice to a pivotal time in my career.
Thanks for any insights or suggestions you might have!
Wasn’t froknowsphoto one of his photographers too?
No, he was not and the way he portrayed himself completely erased my work. The reality of the matter is that I spent a year on the road with Bernie, away from my wife and my family - while I invited Fro onto the trail for all of four days across two months. You are not the first to ask me this and I know you won’t be the last, I fear. Truth be told, I was the only dedicated, full time photographer on the campaign. For the few days I was off the road sick, either our campaign deputy manager, or a staffer from our DC office, filled in for me.
Fucking Jared… Douchebags gonna douchebag, right?
He is about as big of an opportunist as I’ve ever come across in my life. I have come across multiple people though who think that he was Bernie’s photographer and respond to me with “you worked for the campaign also?” when nearly every image we released publicly, or that went on peoples doors, or in their mailboxes, or through newsletters or social media, was taken by me. We never published any of his shit because it was just that…