Candidates, now that we’re going back to session, don’t forget the camera!

I’ve been on a bit of housecleaning effort with my camera equipment since the election, getting rid of some camera lenses I had bought for real estate that I don’t currently use, and upgrading others, mainly with an eye with doing more portrait work in conjunction with the political materials I do.  And it prompted me to write a post on one of the challenges that I face all the time.

Over the years I’ve done political work, one of the things that I find can be problematic for a campaign is a lack of good photography.

Good portraits are extremely important. And equally important are good, well-lit candid photos. Because they can help communicate a candidate’s personality and background.  Why should you have to write a bullet point that someone is a father (as one candidate did this election year)? You can communicate that with a picture of your family.  Same goes for being an outdoorsman or woman.

There’s a reason that higher level officeholders usually have someone running around with a camera.  Some of those photos aren’t just for constituents.  They might also be using a different camera for campaign photos.

Yes, you can snap something with a phone. But your phone might not be the kind of quality you can use in a print piece. And we’re never going to get to the day when campaigns are run solely via facebook or tik tok.

So, if you’re an office holder, whether you’re going to Pierre, hosting an event, speaking to a group or a crackerbarrel, etcetera, I’d tell them don’t be afraid to invest in an actual camera. If you can spend $10,000, 20,000 or more on a campaign, it’s worth the $400-500 investment for the campaign to go get a Canon, Nikon, Sony, or other DSLR camera with lenses you can change out.  Some of the modern DSLR’s have the ability to upload directly to facebook, or at the very least, upload to your phone or iPad, which can then post to social media.

(BTW, One of the best examples are the photos that State Rep. Fred Deutsch takes during session. Check out his facebook page, as he does a really nice job.)

Photos are not just great for social media activity, but you’ll find yourself going back to them for the next election. The time to think about it isn’t in March of 2022, when candidates go “I wish I had that.”  It starts with being ready for going back to Pierre in January.