Inauguration - the money shot?

[Joe_Lorenzini]

I'm curious to discuss what people think the money shot will be from the inauguration coming up on Tuesday.

Will it be a tight shot or wide? Hand raised, emotional (if displayed), overhead or wide showing the entire event background included? Where will the best vantage point be?

This type of huge, historical event has me wondering. You have one shot at recording history - what will you do?

NO POLITICS and no smart-arse responses.

Here's the link to the official web site along with pictures from past inaugurations.
http://www.inauguration.dc.gov/index.asp

I still haven't made up my mind where I'd like to be to get the shot....

Joe

[Jeff_Green]

Originally Posted by Joe_Lorenzini

Will it be a tight shot or wide? Hand raised, emotional (if displayed), overhead or wide showing the entire event background included? Where will the best vantage point be?

I would tend to feel that it would be a tightly cropped shot. The media tends to really focus on his handsome good looks as well as his charisma. Nothing captures that and conveys that better than a close shot. A looser cropped shot showing his surroundings would detract from that.

Gotta be close AND showing his hands raised in the air in an exclamatory way showing an "energized" body language.

[Gambit]

Just offering a very inexperienced opinion, Joe:

For an inauguration, the usual thought is the tight shot with the hand raised. There'll be no shortage of those and you didn't need anyone to tell you that. I'd hate to just discount it though since he's the first black president, making history, etc.

But this particular incoming president has a lot of positive emotion pent up among some people, so I'm thinking you could _really_ get some interesting crowd shots. Showing crying, overcrowding, signs, even maybe protests, any number of things. Probably will be no shortage of those, either, but with the 1-3 million people there's gotta be some good untold story opportunities.

FWIW I hear there's a good chance there won't be enough portapotties to service the vast crowd. Do with THAT what you will. ;)

[Sideline]

I am thinking a wide angle (12-16mm) shot behind whoever is swearing him in....

[chamstra]

My guess is a wide panorama shot to show the masses. Probably sitched together from a a couple of shots.

[C!LLY]

I'm thinking it will be when he trips up the stairs....

[Davidtxs]

I agree wide from behind showing the massive crowd

[directmk]

Originally Posted by C!LLY

I'm thinking it will be when he trips up the stairs....

LOL, Right!

[Davidtxs]

or the shot of Bushs Dog peein on Obamas leg
btw the Bush People have contacted the company I work for about grooming the Bushes dog lol

[Gambit]

Maybe someone will throw a shoe... ;)

[ndsimm]

if it's just one shot, then wide to show the crowd

If it were me (I wish!!!) then I'd have three bodies and catch all three angles

[kamari]

Looks like CNN is planning on having their own money shot, thanks to the public. They're pushing for the "the moment" shot at the moment Obama's hand goes up. Ireporters anywhere on the scene are asked to take a photo from wherever they are at the moment and mail to themoment@cnn.com. Microsoft has a technology that's similar to what you see on google street-view maps that's gonna be used to create a huge composite interactive photo.

As for you taking your own: my vote goes for super wide from behind.

[scayf]

I'm thinking a low-angle shot, looking up at him while he's being sworn in. Or, maybe a swearing in shot with the masses in the background.

[toverman]

I'm guessing the one that will go down in the history books is a tight shot of him being given the oath, with his hand on the same bible that Abraham Lincoln was sworn in with.

But as a recovering photojournalist (hoping I never fully recover), my money shot would be to find someone in the crowd who wears the emotion of the moment on his or her face. I don't think that would be a hard subject to find when the time comes. Being an American is a shared experience, and the regular person to me exemplifies it best.

[venchka]

I just typed something. My good manners made me delete what I typed.