Washington, D.C.-based portrait photographer and photojournalist Brooks Kraft is no stranger to photographing political powerhouses on the campaign trail. From traveling with Nelson Mandela during his historic 1994 campaign in South Africa to awaiting the results of a recount with George Bush and joining Barack Obama during his successful run for reelection in 2012, Brooks has seen it all.
That’s why it’s no surprise that Time editors recently picked one of his images of Hillary Clinton for the cover of their new bookazine, “Hillary: An American Life,” which hits newsstands everywhere tomorrow.
The cover photo was taken in 2008 during a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when Hillary was running for President against Barack Obama. Brooks explained how he came out with the shot:
In addition to looking for images that capture environments in small settings in Iowa and New Hampshire, I am also always on the lookout for portraits that have a more timeless quality. In this case, it was early evening just before dark, and the event lighting was balancing nicely with a blue sky in the background.
Brooks has been photographing Hillary since Bill Clinton’s first run for office in 1991, saying he knew immediately that she was someone to keep an eye on:
Right from the beginning her dynamic personality, intelligence and desire to be a part of her husband’s campaign and presidency made her an interesting subject.
Although Brooks was living in Boston during the campaign, he extensively covered the Clintons at two New Hampshire primaries, their many trips to New England, and even during their vacations to Martha’s Vineyard.
Brooks’ images of Hillary throughout the years show many sides of the iconic figure. While his well-lit, stoic image of Hillary that made the cover shows her as the statuesque and collected woman that we’re all familiar with, he also showcases her more candid moments:
The biggest challenge in political photography is having the time and patience to wait for a good opportunity. The vast majority of time is spent on logistics, as well as shoots that have nothing to offer visually. Despite all the control and orchestration of the image, good opportunities are often unexpected — nice light or unusual moments. You just have to spend the time to find them.