Obama Nation Photo Gallery

Obama Smiling White Shirt Photo

I cannot take credit for shooting this wonderful photograph; I am just not that good a photographer. Go here on BarackObama.com and scroll through the Barack Obama photos to find it, as well as other shots of Barack, Michelle and the campaign, but taken by professional photographers.

Woman in the Barbershop Window

This woman was looking out the window at the long line of people passing by her barber shop. If you look carefully, you can see people's reflections in the window. By the look on her face, you can almost hear what she's saying: "Girl, you should see all these people! I've never seen anything like it in my life." At least, that's what I imagine she was saying.

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The line to get into the speaking area was long.

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In addition to their great neckwear, this couple proudly displayed their Obama rally towels.

Vote

Nothing more needs to be said. Exercise your franchise!

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Show Me the Money

Will we one day have money with Barack Obama's photograph on it? The thought had never occurred to me, but it might happen sooner than we think!

If you double click on this photo, you'll be able to see the full image, including the women's faces.

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Sunrise in America

Many people were wearing this shirt bearing the Obama sunrise.

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High Steppin'

What did I do to make this man so animated? Beats me! But he sure had a lot of energy, which made for a fantastic photo.

Dewey

After standing in line for hours, I turned the corner into the park and there was my friend Dewey! His wife, Cherron is very involved in the Germantown office. I can't find their contact info. If you know them, please tell them to watch the video.

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It's Time

And what an amazing watch! Keep an eye on my wrist. I haven't worn a watch for a good 15 years, but I'll be sporting this one. And can you say capitalism? Isn't that an American value? This gentleman is a serious entrepreneur.

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Flaco

This is my former salsa and line-dancing instructor Flaco. I tried to get his attention but he was too far away from me, though you wouldn't know it from this photo.

Muslim Sistahs

These women appear in my "crowns" sequence of photos. Philadelphia has a large black Muslim population, especially in this Germantown neighborhood. They stood in front of me for a while. We were all just so excited!

Golden, Golden

This boy teased and tormented me all afternoon, as I waited patiently until he was finally still enough and I had a clear shot across the crowd to take his picture as he perched atop his father's shoulders. He and his dad both had gorgeous, long golden locs.

Strong Women Keep Coming

When I witnessed campaign volunteers wheel in senior citizens and other people in wheelchairs by me while I was standing in line, I almost burst into tears -- it was just that moving, especially when I imagined all they'd seen and fought for during their lifetimes. Now they've lived long enough to see the first black president! Hopefully, there will be a next time. I have a 106-year-old friend who I would have brought to the rally except that I thought it would be too strenuous for her.

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Like Father, Like Son

Just when I thought I had seen every tee-shirt and right when I thought I had taken my last photo, here comes this gentleman holding his son's hand. Look at the smile on Daddy's face -- like he's proud of his boy and knows he just witnessed something important. And his son is old enough to remember it.

Strumming My Freedom

Gary Shepherd a Philadelphia radio legend and very active in community leadership. He's also an accomplished musician -- a drummer, I believe. But it was a total coincidence the this picture of he and his family landed on "strumming my own freedom." My friend Valerie noticed this and told me not to move it. Not being a native Philadelphian, I recognize Gary's voice but had never seen his face.

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The Paparazzi

When Barack came onstage, I couldn't see anything -- people had put their children up on their shoulders. So I turned in the opposite direction to see what was going on behind me. What an amazing scene!

Tall Man

Truth be told, this brotha may have taken all my Barack shots for me. I took all my shots blind and without focusing, my camera held far above my head. He was the only person in the vicinity tall enough to see over all the kids perched on their fathers' shoulders. Many, many people were passing him their cameras to take a picture for them. I was among them. For this, I should have included him in the movie. But as I edited down the photos, my original requirement was that the person was sporting Obama gear. It wasn't until the end that I needed to plug holes and included other images. At that point I was trying to complete very specific patterns. Sorry, bruh. If you know him, please thank him for me. Without him, this would have been a completely different movie.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the President of the United States

I held my camera high over my head and tried to shoot blindly. I don't think this is one of those shots. A very tall brotha was standing a few rows in front of me. When I realized that people were passing their cameras to him from many rows back, I decided to pass him mine. I believe he took this shot. I'm not sure that he had a camera, and don't even know his name. If you know him (he's posted below), tell him to look at these shots.

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Flag Day

Great ties! They had to be with a choir or something, didn't they? The colors were flying everywhere that day.

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Two Thumbs Up

When I took this young lady's photo, she gave me two thumbs up. Later, when I was editing the photos, I realized how many "thumbs up" shirts there were. I used her to help frame the "thumbs up" series of images.

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Thumbs Up

Thumbs up. What can I say?

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Step Aside

This young man was in the caravan of people who rolled past those of us standing in line to someplace, hopefully, close to the stage. I don't know how this type of thing usually happens, but as the daughter of a man who spent 10 years in a wheelchair, I was profoundly moved that the campaign had the sensitivity to make room for those who are differently abled. Later, when I was editing these pictures, I was struck by the fact that, while he is wearing a "thumbs up" shirt, on one hand I'm not certain he has one.

We Are Family

It was an all-American, family day.

The Contender

I love this shirt. It gives me the chills every time I see it. There's nothing more to say.

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Boys Will Be Boys

These boys, whom I believe had sung in choir, were playing patty-cake while the police officer looked on. (The police were everywhere that day, though I chose not to include that aspect of the experience.) I noticed not only the boys' friendship, but also the red, white and blue.

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Sabra and Kathy

These are my friends Sabra and Kathy, who volunteer at the Mt. Airy Obama office. We live in a very integrated neighborhood. Throughout the day I was struck by the interracial friendships on display. Their relationship exemplifies the spirt of the Obama nation.

Kathy

This picture of Kathy was not in the video. But I loved what her tee-shirt said and wanted a close-up. War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing! If your eyes are good, you can check out what it says inside of the crosshairs.

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Stylin' & Profilin'

This woman was so proud to show off her Obama shirt that she struck a pose without my having to ask! My overwhelming impressions from the day were that people felt proud, optimistic and that they knew were participating in something important -- far more important than themselves.