Here’s what happened according to Jason Reed, a Reuters photographer:
As President Obama continued his nine-minute address in front of just one main network camera, the photographers were held outside the room by staff and asked to remain completely silent. Once Obama was off the air, we were escorted in front of that teleprompter and the President then re-enacted the walk-out and first 30 seconds of the statement for us.
It being a reenactment doesn’t really change anything for me—AP and Reuters both disclose which pictures are staged—I just love the behind the scenes look of the whole process. Oh, and of course, love the idea of Obama doing that awesome walk off one more time. [Reuters]
Image Credit: Reuters
Jon
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 10:23 AMPolitics…….if there’s a way to make something more complicated then politics will find it, even for something as mundane as taking a photograph.
glennc
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 10:38 AMawww bless him, he thought everything in the media was real
matt
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 11:03 AM“that’s it, work it baby”
James Mac
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 3:23 PMWhy can’t they take pictures during a live feed?
MunKy
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 3:53 PMBecause of the flash I’m guessing – you don’t want it to look like a paparazzi event…
I think Obama handled the announcement well – no gloating or grandstanding – just job done.
At least he didn’t have a mission accomplished banner behind him like George W…
Painkiller
Monday, May 9, 2011 at 4:01 PMbecause of the flashes and the distracting nature of photographers.
While doing the speech in an empty room Obama looks right down the tv camera lens (his eyes never dart from the tv camera (makes the people watching the tv feel engaged). If the photographers were floating around they might distract the President from delivering his speech with the proper leave of integrity and break that engagement the President has with his tv audience.
DansDans
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 1:52 PMThe REAL reason they dont allow them to take pictures during the live feed is so then all the conspiracy theories and the tin-foil hat bridage will have something to talk about:
example:
“OMG there is no flashes during the video, but now we have pictures, so fake”
etc.etc.
Its all done for the conspiracy theorists. Nothing more. Because there could never ever be logical explanations for this.