I’m in a bit of a unique situation and would love some insights or thoughts from fellow photographers. During the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign, I had the incredible opportunity to be the Director of Photography. As a result, I’m sitting on over a terabyte of Bernie Sanders imagery, arguably the world’s largest collection of photos of the Senator.
Post-campaign, I’ve been grappling with the idea of what to do with these images. Initially, I considered compiling them into a book, but as time has passed, I’m unsure if there’s still interest or relevancy in such a project. Given the nature of the content and the emotional journey that accompanied it, these images hold significant personal and historical value.
Inspired by a fellow Redditor’s post about the challenges of what to do with their photos in the era of changing social media algorithms, I find myself at a crossroads. They mentioned the idea of creating a virtual gallery or a blog as a repository for their work, which got me thinking.
Is there merit in pursuing a book or digital gallery for this extensive collection of campaign imagery? Or have I missed the window of opportunity where these photos would have had the most impact and relevance?
I’m curious to hear your thoughts or if anyone here has faced a similar dilemma with their photography work. How do you decide the fate of your photos, especially those tied to significant events or periods in your life?
Sorry if this feels a bit open-ended, but I guess I’m trying to navigate through a mix of creative uncertainty and the desire to do justice to a pivotal time in my career.
Thanks for any insights or suggestions you might have!
I know the photographer who covered Corey Booker’s campaign who later when on to cover Stacey Abrams. He has some incredible stuff from that time period and I’ve always wondered just what was in his archive.
As I recall, Flickr used to host White House images. Was this something you were wanting to profit from, or just put out to the world? No judgment, just curious.