Mitt Romney – March 5, 2010 (Upscale embedded with SynthID)

The Gear

Lens: Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 at 56mm

Camera: Nikon D3S

Settings: 1/200s, f/2.8, ISO 1250

Lighting: Softbox in the Holman Lounge + ambient stage lighting in ballroom

Technique: Standard Press Club luncheon coverage with receiving line portrait setup

The Goal

Cover a standard Press Club luncheon and grab a portrait in the Holman Lounge during the receiving line.

The Vision

This marks my first shoot with the Nikon D3S… Nikon’s flagship at the time and a significant step up from the D700. The low-light capability was another leap forward, and the build quality felt like holding a professional tool for the first time.

You’ll notice the Kodak Portra 400 film border on the edited portrait. I was still using Alien Skin Exposure for processing, and they had these film overlay options that were very trendy at the time. A lot of photographers I followed were doing texture overlays and filmic edge treatments, and I thought it added something to the overall feel. The grain and color processing I was using matched that film stock anyway.

I’ll be honest… I’m conflicted about representing digital photographs as film, even to this day. But I’m leaving it as is. It’s a product of its time, and there’s value in not sanitizing old work. Sometimes keeping the trendy edit helps the image be representative of where you were as a photographer.

The Story

Mitt Romney came to the National Press Club for a luncheon speech about jobs and the economy. He’d just released his book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, so this was partly a book tour stop. He wasn’t officially running for president yet… that wouldn’t happen until 2011… but he was clearly laying groundwork and staying in the public eye.

It was a standard luncheon: speech at the podium in the main ballroom, Q&A with audience questions, then a receiving line in the Holman Lounge with the typical formal backdrop… American flag, Press Club seal, very DC.

You can see the Press Club president sitting with Romney in the lounge, getting a book signed. That’s the kind of access you get when you’re the house photographer… not because you’re special, but because you’re just there, every day, part of the furniture.

The Lesson

Sometimes there’s no lesson. Sometimes it’s just a luncheon with a speech you can’t remember and a portrait that came together because you had a softbox set up and knew where to stand.

The real progression here is gear. D300 to D700 to D3S in the span of two years, each one opening up new possibilities in low light. Credit cards were maxed. Worth it.