For three days of the last month I spent a day with each of the three Mayoral candidates for stories leading up to the June 11 election. The stories have run in the Tulsa World over the last three days, starting in alphabetical order with current Mayor
Dewey Bartlett on Tuesday, former city councilor
Bill Christiansen on Wednesday and in this morning's newspaper,
former mayor Kathy Taylor. Although I actually photographed them in this order-Christiansen, Taylor, Bartlett.
I spent 12 hours with each candidate to collect pictures of each candidate as they went about an average day.
I photographed pre-dawn, workouts, campaign stops at churches, senior citizen centers and restaurants, went to their homes and rode with them from meetings to lunches to speeches.
By the end of the comgined 36 hours, we sorted through a total of 3,099 photographs and edited that number down to a total of twelve for publication in the newspaper (3 for each candidate). I asked each of the candidates the same questions and built audio slideshows that show the different parts of the day.
Access was important to this assignment and each candidate provided a fairly unrestricted view of their day. I wanted to photograph some of the behind the scenes moments during the campaign in addition to the more obvios pictures during campaign speeches.
Starting with Christiansen, I wanted to look for similar moments that the three candidates shared during their day. Of course there was some level of orchestration on the part of the candidates as far as their scheduled stops for the day that I followed along. I tried to balance photographing what they had scheduled, but also looking past that to find more genuine moments.
Hopefully, the pictures connect with readers on a more personal level that the usual image that we see at press conferences and campaign commercials.
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Signing thank you notes for fundraising contributions, making a campaign speech to senior citizens and answering questions during a campaign meeting at a local business. Taylor, Bartlett and Christiansen (from left to right)
The candidates greet people at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, before a meeting with a local business and before a campaign strategy meeting. Taylor, Bartlett and Christiansen (from left to right)
Campaign hats, mugs, street signs and buttons on the campaign trail. Taylor, Christiansen and Bartlett (from left to right)
First thing in the morning at home, at a park for a boot camp workout and sweeping the driveway at home. Bartlett, Taylor and Christiansen (from left to right).
Work spaces along the campaign trail, at a campaign headquarters, at home and the Mayor's office. Taylor, Christiansen and Bartlett (from left to right).
In the car on the way to the next stop during a day of work and campaigning. Christiansen, Taylor and Bartlett (from left to right).
