Capturing History

FROM THE NEWSROOM Shortly after noon Tuesday, Barack Obama raised his right hand and made history as the first African-American president of the United States.

Richmond Times-Dispatch photographers were there to record the day.

It began at 4 a.m. for our team of six photographers and a photo editor who fanned out across Washington, and it didn't end until after midnight, with the president and first lady dancing at one of the many balls they attended that evening.

On Inauguration Day, media check-in started at 4 a.m. After catching the first Metro train from Alexandria, senior photographer Bob Brown and I were in line at the southwest entrance of the U.S. Capitol just after 4:30 a.m. -- with more than 100 pounds of equipment and seven hours to go before the official ceremony. We were assigned to take photos at the Capitol, and the check-in process there took more than an hour and 15 minutes. We were in our assigned spots on the riser at 6:30 a.m.

The media stand at the Capitol was a large, multilevel riser at least 50 feet high, for photographers from countless publications around the country and the world. Our spot was at the very top, next to The New York Times, Washington Post, and Minneapolis Star-Tribune. At times you could feel the riser move with the wind -- and you could feel the temperature drop throughout the day.

BY THE END of Obama's speech, Brown and I had transmitted more than 30 photos back to the newspaper using a laptop computer and DSL connection. In a few hours, our photographers in other locations were able to transmit almost 100 more photos as well as video clips for our Web site.

Although we had a large contingent in Washington to cover the events of the day, many of the photos we published were made by wire-service and designated "pool" photographers. Pool photographers get some of the most prized positions but make their photos available to other news organizations.

The photo of the Obama family during the swearing-in is a great example. The image was captured by a camera that was mounted on the edge of the podium and equipped with a silencing case. This is the first inauguration to be photographed from that vantage point. We chose that photo for the cover of our special inaugural section because of its unique qualities.

Planning, logistics, weather, and technology, along with access to prized vantage points, were all a challenge, but it was one worth taking on for this once-in-a-lifetime news event.

James Wallace is director of photography. Contact him at (804) 649-6541 or .