Posted by BEN BEAUMONT – New Orleans Associated Press photographer and Little Rock native Alex Brandon visited the Clinton School on Thursday and shared his experiences covering the Barack Obama presidential campaign. Brandon earned a spot in Obama’s traveling press corps after his shot of the Senator speaking at Tulane University landed on the cover of Time Magazine.
Brandon described his now famous picture (right) of the back of Obama’s head which included unique lighting that produced a “halo” image. After that day, the photographer spent more than 150 days on the campaign trail and said he felt fortunate to have been a witness to such a historical campaign. At the Clinton School, Brandon showed a slide show of his photos of Obama, set to the Senator’s now famous speech on race given in Philadelphia in March.
Prior to joining the AP, Brandon was a staff photographer for the New Orleans Times Picayune during Hurricane Katrina. He was part of two staff Pulitzer Prizes for Spot News Reporting and Public Service for coverage during the aftermath of the storm.
Alex Brandon speaks at the Clinton School.