Kamala’s Short Run and My Shorter Coverage
The first time I photographed Kamala Harris she was a senator in the summer of 2019 running for president. Sen. Harris had announced her entry into the race a few months earlier on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. My friend and former Seinfeld writer Peter Mehlman (the one who brought you The Yada Yada) had a fundraiser for her at his place in Santa Monica and invited me over to take a few snaps. When Senator Harris arrived she walked by a photo that I had made of Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 that hung on Peter’s wall. Of course I took a shot of that! I found Senator Harris to be engaging, funny, and definitely presidential material.
During her discussion I could see that the attendees had a similar reaction. Her husband Doug Emhoff watched discreetly from another room.
One of my favorite photos from the event was Peter’s dog Ike under the table behind Harris who seemed to want her to quit talking and play catch with him. She didn’t.
After her talk there was a touching interaction with a young lady who was moved by meeting the senator and will remember that inspiring encounter forever. These moments are why I love what I do.
Kamala Harris dropped out of the presidential race at the end of 2019. In August of 2020 she was picked by her rival Joe Biden to be his running mate. They won, beating Donald Trump, and Senator Harris became Vice President Harris.
The next time I saw her was at a memorial at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. When O’Connor died the VP issued a statement that said, “Like so many who knew her, I will always remember her kindness, intelligence, and deep love for our country.” She shared those sentiments with the family and told them that Justice O’Connor had been an inspiration to her as a young lawyer.
In June of 2024 I managed to get in for a quick pic during the disastrous debate performance by President Biden where he faced off with former President Trump. This event unleashed a no confidence movement in him among the Democrats. Biden was essentially forced to withdraw from the race and handed the ball off to Harris who ran with it.
I was at the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris officially accepted her party’s nomination as their candidate for president. It was a joyous affair, and all I could imagine was how depressing the vibe might have been if Biden was the candidate. Her speech was upbeat, fiery, and hit all the right notes.
There was a brief instant after she finished and turned to leave the podium where I made my best picture of the convention. In that instant I captured her resolve and determination. It was different from the ever-smiling candidate that we had gotten used to seeing on the campaign trail, a look belittled by Trump and his acolytes. At that moment I really believed she was going all the way. Spoiler alert: I was wrong.
The convention ended conventionally with balloons and optimism. Everyone there was caught up in it.
Fast forward to election night where the Kamala Harris victory celebration was going to be held at her alma mater Howard University in Washington, D.C. It went well right until the results started pouring in.
I was there for Vanity Fair and wrote, “The evening started on a joyful note with singing, dancing, and hope. It ended in palpable fear for the future. A cloud fell over the assembled as the returns favoring Donald Trump came in. The look of shock and sadness on their faces was enough to make you weep.”
It was announced in the wee hours of November 6th that the Vice President wouldn’t be making an appearance but would be there later that day. After most of the crowd left, I photographed an American flag that had been left on the ground, a Harris-Walz sign in the background. The picture told the story.
When Harris arrived at Howard in the late afternoon, the crowd was enthusiastic but sad. As she spoke many of those gathered were visibly upset, some with tears in their eyes.
The VP on the other hand tried to be upbeat. She said, “I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time. … America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion stars-the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service, may that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks toward the extraordinary promise of the United States of America.” More tears.
At one point during the vice president’s short speech I saw a light in a room above and behind her that looked a bit like a halo. I worked the angle and photographed the “halo” over her head. One of the oldest tricks in the photo book! It’s the image I want to leave behind of her, a person who isn’t an angel, but one who put up a helluva good battle.
As she and her husband Doug walked off the stage, her words still rang through the crowd, “I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.” So the struggle goes on, and she will be in the game.
