Gerard on the Phone (October 9, 2008)

This is one of the best pictures I took during the last federal campaign in 2008.

What I like about it is the way it works as a portrait, rather than as a campaign photo: it's fairly revealing, with the sneakers and rumpled hair and lack of tie, and the foot stuck distractedly up on the edge of the desk. You can tell he doesn't know there's a camera, and he certainly isn't looking for one--the phone call is more important.

I have a number of pictures of these phone calls, and I think they're the some of the more representative images in terms of showing what the campaign looked like, and what most people's orientation was to being involved. There was a high level of commitment from the many volunteers, and a sort of energetic buzz that kept people in the office until 10pm or later.