Monthly Archive for October 2008
It’s been just about nine months since I first photographed Ada with her mom and dad Rachel and Chris. It was a balmy January day and we had a great time. This time we met at the National Arboretum which I highly suggest visiting for a picnic, to see a 350-year-old bonsai tree or amble around and get away from the hustle of DC for a few hours. I have to say that Ada is a lot of fun to study. She has a lot going on in that growing mind of hers and does not stand still for more than a few seconds at a time. It makes my job more challenging but I’ve never been a fan of shooting fish in a barrel. I am looking forward to being able to document Ada as she continues to grow up.
This weekend I spent a few hours with Lauren her husband Elan, their son Jack, who was a trooper and full of energy and their dog Riley. When I arrived I was greeted by a sweet couple who were willing to let me into their lives for a short time. As I have come to learn, this, besides the challenges of light and timing, is the key element to my success. I go out with an rough idea of what I would like to capture but stay away from pre-visualizing. It is the surprises, the intimate relationships, small moments and gestures that make for what I consider the best images. One of my favorites shows Elan with his cheek pressed lovingly against his son’s shoulder having what appears to be a moment of reflection as his wife engages with him. You cannot tell people to do this sort of stuff - it just happens naturally. But it takes trust and I wholeheartedly appreciate their willingness to grant me that.
Capitol Hill has been abuzz with a fury of activity over the past few weeks with congress working to pass a financial bailout package. On Monday the House failed to pass legislation and the stock market tanked over 700 points - the largest drop in history. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at the Capitol for Politico covering the progress which amounted to meetings that I was not allowed to cover, chatter by insiders about what would and should happen and an abundance of politicians at podiums and on stages making their cases as to why or why not the government should come to the rescue. The highlight was today when I chased down Senator Barack Obama making his way from his office in the Hart Senate Office Building to the Capitol. Photographers were all over the place, staking out his office, elevators near the Senate chamber doors and a number of spots in between. I will be the first to admit that I was granted a small stroke of luck and was in the right place at the right time. But no matter, it is what you can do when you find yourself in that position. I took the subway from the Capitol towards the Hart building hoping to backtrack the planned path of the Senator and to my delight he jumped on at the stop I was going to get off at in the very next car. There was a ton of glare on the windows that separated us but I managed to come away with one frame that I really like.
About Jay Premack
Jay is an unobtrusive documentarian, who insists that the best pictures happen when events unfold naturally. As an individual, Jay is pretty laid back, a demeanor that’s ideal for weddings. Amidst orchestrated chaos, he’s a calming presence.
Learn more about Jay