Laws for Sale

Sometimes you find your friends and colleagues in the most unexpected places and doing the strangest things.

At least, it looks like their doing strange things.

Like this picture below which appeared in the March 7th New York Times magazine on page 9. In the context of the title of the article, "Laws for Sale", you imagine that this hapless lawmaker is being shook down by one of many, powerful, small-in-stature women of Washington, DC who have toiled in the back offices of Members' personal office, committee staff rooms, and leadership offices and then grab the reins of a lobby firm or association and they use their knowledge, cunning and wiles to back someone into a corner (sometimes literally) to get them to see it their way.

What's funny about photography and photojournalism is how much context plays a role how we receive the message of the photo. The context of this photo is that story about political arm twisting. This photo, however, is of my bosses. My boss, the Congressman, and my other boss, my Chief of Staff, are caught by one of the many roving photographers while they are having a conversation on a cell phone in a quiet corner of the Rayburn Room. The Rayburn Room is just off the floor of the House and serves as an ancillary meeting place, and apparently a place for photos. The hallway to the right, which is visually awesome because it creates this light v dark dichotomy in which these two are seemingly on the wrong side of the dividing column, leads to the offices of the Minority Leader. Also, and of note, down this hall is the closest bathroom for female Members. The men's room is just off the floor, located on the other side of the House Chamber.

This photo also leads me to think about how much I want to be a Roll Call photographer. This place is full of characters, of intimacy, of stress, or joy, and of frustration which all lend themselves to be captured on camera. If I can't leave this job to pursue that job, well then I can at least get caught up in moments and visuals like this that, despite what the headline above it may lead you to believe, exemplifies the real work and labor in Washington, DC.