The Neighborhood Ball

Tuesday night

January 20

Washington, D.C. Convention Center

A very elegant and dashing First Couple took to the dance floor Tuesday night at the Neighborhood Ball, the first of 10 for the night. They danced to a song sung by Beyonce, then 'danced' on stage with about 20-30 people, presumably big Democratic donors. Though we did think it would be amazing to say, I danced with the President on inauguration night.

A New Day

Tuesday
January 20, 2009
US Capitol Building

Bob Deutsch, a USA Today photographer standing next to me on the Capitol balustrade, said, at one point a few minutes before Barack Obama was introduced as President-elect, to take some time to look out and take in how historic the inauguration is. Our view was from high up behind the podium, with a sweeping view of the Mall, Washington Monument and the massive crowd watching. It was a spectacular view and you realized how important it was for a lot of people to witness it even through the cold. As noon approached, the high clouds broke and a warm sun lit up the stage and the crowd. We, photographers, were of course happy for the nice light but it did seem like a new day in America. The actual swearing in was short, we were told 30 seconds, which is not a lot of time if you need to take several different kinds of pictures. I had 4 cameras with different lenses to capture the scene. Fortunately all seemed to work.Immediately after the swearing in, youngest daughter Sasha turns to Dad and gives him a big thumbs up and smile. For the ceremony, the family was next to Obama, Sasha on a blue box to give her height. Our day began at 5 am as we headed to the subway to get to the Capitol and found ourselves in near-rush hour size crowds on the streets and underground. Clearly people were energized and determined to see this historic inauguration. People of all colors streaming into the cars bundled up for the frigid temperatures. The First Couple walked the last few blocks of the Inaugural Parade, to cheering crowds.I’m at the Neighborhood Ball now, one of 10 balls tonight that the Obamas and Bidens will attend. This is supposed to be the “big” one, with a line up of major performers.

I minus 17 hours, 14 minutes

7:46pm
Monday
January 19

Madness on the streets of Washington. Huge and huge-er crowds everywhere you go, especially around the capitol and the Mall. Four of us AFP photographers are staying in an apartment in the Chinatown area which seems to be mobbed with people both night we were here. Vendors everywhere selling everything imaginable. Almost like New Year's Eve, as one of the doorman in our NY apartment described election night. Lots of people wearing Obama t-shirts under their down coats. But most people in a festive mood, except photographers trying to get here and there with tons of equipment. Still cold here, forcast is for low 30's on Tuesday, but in the 20's in early morning.
Photographed Michelle Obama and Jill Biden earlier today, at a National Day of Service event. They helped a group that put together CARE packages for soldiers overseas. Lots of excitement when the 2 showed up, most attention on Michelle. She is quite glamorous, even at these casual events. Very good with people one-on-one.
After that, I head back up to the capitol with even more equipment that i'll need tomorrow. Everything seems to be working well, our internet connection and the cameras.
So Tim and I head back to the apartment, get caught in a big mob of people at Union Station and decide to walk back. We go shopping for some food to take in the morning and then end up eating at the Asian restaurant we were at last night, mainly because there was no waiting for a table.
Back to the apartment to prepare our computers, etc for the big day.

One day to inauguration

Monday
January 19

Last post was actually for Sunday, here we are on Monday, 1 day to inauguration.
Here's the various credentials I need for access to the capitol, my position, then the parade and the "Neighborhood Ball" which someone told me has all the celebrities.
Also-- my Washington Metro subway card- a collector's item and can't forget the Obama taxi receipt, a must have.

At the Capitol

Sunday
January 18
Washington, D.C.

Spent today going over plans with the bosses and photographers and planning the shots we need. They have a map set up in a conference room with tiny flags with our names on them showing our various positions throughout the day, like troop movements. My spot for the swearing-in is on the Capital balustrade, which is a balcony on the west front of the building behind and above the podium. The view we’ll get from there looks straight out to the Mall, the Washington Monument and way off in the distance the Lincoln Memorial. So it could be very spectacular with the crowds of people. Rode over to the capital with Paul, one of the Washington photographers who had his truck to take over large boxes of equipment. I took my tripod and big lens to leave on the balustrade. Paul assured me it’s a pretty safe area, you need several passes to get into the grounds, then a few feet away from my tripod is a secret service agent with a large machine gun posted 24 hours a day. I tested several lenses to see the type of pictures I’ll get. Then rushed off to photograph a man for a Swiss magazine who are doing a story on Geneva residents who are attending the inauguration. The man turns out to be an American who is a big fundraiser for the Democratic party and Americans abroad. Tim, Emmanuel, Jewel and myself are staying in an apartment that AFP rented for 3 days, turns out it is the apartment of an AFP economics reporter who must have fled Washington with his family for the week. We got our stuff over to the apartment and settled in.

On to the Inauguration

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.