Photo Essay

When it comes to choosing a news story that has been covered extensively, I didn't have to look far.  The drama unfolding in the confirmation hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh has captivated both myself and the rest of the nation.  You cannot avoid the circus if you tried.  I scoured the internet to find five photos that captured the drama and emotion of everyone involved, from the participants to the protesters to the press.

THE SCENE SETTER

I chose this photo instead of others for two reasons, the perspective and the color.  It is the only picture I could find that showed the actual room that the hearings were in, and most people had no idea what the room looked like before.  It shows the main character in this "story", Brett Kavanaugh, in black and white, thus raising the drama levels ten-fold. (Jacquelyn Martin - AP)

THE MEDIUM SHOT

To me, this picture depicts the circus more than any others I could find.  You have Judge Kavanaugh giving his testimony with the press snapping away.  The eyes of the entire country were on him at this moment. (Melina Mara - Washington Post)

THE PORTRAIT

This powerful shot is, to me, the perfect example of a portrait shot.  It shows Christine Blasey Ford solemnly swearing to tell nothing but the truth in front of the Senate committee.  There is nothing else in the photo to distract from the moment being depicted. (Erin Schaff - New York Times)

THE DETAIL SHOT

 I will not lie, finding a good action shot for this topic was a little difficult.  There simply wasn't a lot out there, but out of what was available this seemed to do the best job.  It shows a moment in time that seems a little lighter, with Judge Kavanaugh and his family in the background all smiling.  The wider shot and inclusion of the water bottles and name plaque give you a perspective of the whole scene. (Saul Loeb - Getty Images)

THE ACTION SHOT

 I went in a different direction for my choice of action shot.  Here we have Arizona Senator Jeff Flake being cornered in an elevator by a furious protestor.  Because of this moment, the FBI launched a week long investigation into the allegations brought about by Dr. Ford.  (Jim Lo Scalzo - EPA/EFE)

With most people able to afford smartphones with high quality cameras, we will be seeing more citizen journalism than ever before.  While all these images came from professionals, I foresee a future where anyone with a press pass becoming a serious journalist if they want to. With today's hyper-partisan, cut-throat political world, there is much less focus on ethics, thus opening the door for anybody to jump in.  These photographs told the story reasonably well, although the topic might be too fresh.  The best photos will slowly trickle out in magazines that will be published in the coming months, and I look forward to seeing what they show us.