First Mom and Sasha, First Dad and Malia. Malia takes pictures on the train platform.
Saturday
January 17, 2009
Philadelphia
I'm in Philadelphi to cover the departure if the Whistle Stop Tour train as President Elect (PE as some in the media refer to him in shorthand) Barack Obama takes a symbolic train trip to Washington to start the inaugural events. Its frigid cold here, got in yesterday with Tim, a fellow NY AFP photog. I think it was 18 degrees with wind. Worse at night.
My position was to cover a short speech by Obama in the North Lounge of the 30th Street station, then join a very small group of photographers to get him getting on the train and departing. The good thing about the speech is that is was indoors. First Mom and Dad come out with the kids, Malia, the older, being a little wary of the ceremonies stands off to the side of Barack, until he puts an arm around her and whispers in her ear. Mom has a hold of Sasha, who seemed a little overawed by the crowd.
Meanwhile Mandel, one of our Washington photogs and Tim would be on the train as it heads south. The speech was much shorter than expected and we were suddenly rushed to the train platform, 'pre-positioned' by the car. Unfortunately we turned out to be almost an hour early. So we wait, as the cold begins to set in, then the happy first family emerges, to join a few friends who are waiting on the platform. The girls are adorable as usual, Sasha with her Uggs and Malia snapping photos with a small digital camera.
All aboard!
And as we photograph Obamas’ back when he gets on the train it turns out to be not such a great shot. The train pulls away and about 100 feet down the track suddenly we see a figure in the shadows of the back of the train come out and wave. It’s Obama! Finally we get a decent shot. But-- the train is getting further away and there is a giant pulsing red light right above him, almost obscuring his face in the glare. We race back to the media tables to send the pics.
I manage to finish earlier than I thought and actually had lunch. Then I get on Amtrak train 147 to DC. The plan is for me to meet the Whistle stop Tour at Union Station where I would get the arrival. But our train is delayed frequently as we seem to be following the Obamas' train. Hope I get into Union station before they do. At several points along the way, people who have stopped in nearby parking lots wave to our train and at least 1 person takes a photo, thinking maybe this is HIS train.
Washington, D.C.
My journey and the Obama/Biden crew’s journey is finally over. They picked up VP elect Joe Biden and wife Jill in Delaware and the happy group arrives early. Your correspondents’ train was about 1 hour 15 minutes late, due to the delays caused by following the Whistle Stop Tour train. But, we saw the carefully managed arrival after nearly freezing our toes off standing on the exposed platform.
Washington seems abuzz with excitement over the inauguration. I point out to a Washington photographer that it’s good that people are excited over our president (since no one seems to happy about our current one).
A small table of shirts, hats and other memorabilia is set up at our hotel. After dinner, I buy things for the doormen in our building plus a woman we know in New York who is a big Obama fan.
January 17, 2009
Philadelphia
I'm in Philadelphi to cover the departure if the Whistle Stop Tour train as President Elect (PE as some in the media refer to him in shorthand) Barack Obama takes a symbolic train trip to Washington to start the inaugural events. Its frigid cold here, got in yesterday with Tim, a fellow NY AFP photog. I think it was 18 degrees with wind. Worse at night.
My position was to cover a short speech by Obama in the North Lounge of the 30th Street station, then join a very small group of photographers to get him getting on the train and departing. The good thing about the speech is that is was indoors. First Mom and Dad come out with the kids, Malia, the older, being a little wary of the ceremonies stands off to the side of Barack, until he puts an arm around her and whispers in her ear. Mom has a hold of Sasha, who seemed a little overawed by the crowd.
Meanwhile Mandel, one of our Washington photogs and Tim would be on the train as it heads south. The speech was much shorter than expected and we were suddenly rushed to the train platform, 'pre-positioned' by the car. Unfortunately we turned out to be almost an hour early. So we wait, as the cold begins to set in, then the happy first family emerges, to join a few friends who are waiting on the platform. The girls are adorable as usual, Sasha with her Uggs and Malia snapping photos with a small digital camera.
All aboard!
And as we photograph Obamas’ back when he gets on the train it turns out to be not such a great shot. The train pulls away and about 100 feet down the track suddenly we see a figure in the shadows of the back of the train come out and wave. It’s Obama! Finally we get a decent shot. But-- the train is getting further away and there is a giant pulsing red light right above him, almost obscuring his face in the glare. We race back to the media tables to send the pics.
I manage to finish earlier than I thought and actually had lunch. Then I get on Amtrak train 147 to DC. The plan is for me to meet the Whistle stop Tour at Union Station where I would get the arrival. But our train is delayed frequently as we seem to be following the Obamas' train. Hope I get into Union station before they do. At several points along the way, people who have stopped in nearby parking lots wave to our train and at least 1 person takes a photo, thinking maybe this is HIS train.
Washington, D.C.
My journey and the Obama/Biden crew’s journey is finally over. They picked up VP elect Joe Biden and wife Jill in Delaware and the happy group arrives early. Your correspondents’ train was about 1 hour 15 minutes late, due to the delays caused by following the Whistle Stop Tour train. But, we saw the carefully managed arrival after nearly freezing our toes off standing on the exposed platform.
Washington seems abuzz with excitement over the inauguration. I point out to a Washington photographer that it’s good that people are excited over our president (since no one seems to happy about our current one).
A small table of shirts, hats and other memorabilia is set up at our hotel. After dinner, I buy things for the doormen in our building plus a woman we know in New York who is a big Obama fan.
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