23
Jun
My first International Assignment
Early in my career, George Bush sat on the White House thrown. Hillary Clinton was a Senator from New York, and I was hired to photograph an official state visit from Polish ex-President Lech Walesa.
I was to take photos of Walesa meeting with important Washington, DC people, and stream those photos live to my web site, so they could be downloaded by FACT Newspaper, a Warsaw daily.
I got to ride in the motorcade. Right next to Walesa, and his son, who was head of security. Cell phone rings. I answer, cupping my hand to the mouth piece.
“Hello?” It was a Track Phone then, no caller ID.
“Michael, what are you doing?” It was my dad.
“I’m riding in a limo with Lech Walesa heading to the White House to meet George Bush.”
Silence. “Oh. Can you update the Snackfood website when you get a chance?”
Now this fed directly into one of my mom’s favorite theories. One moment, as a photographer, you are moving in the inner most circles of power, a fly on the wall recording history. The next, you are cleaning your bathroom and wondering how to fight mildew stains.
To this day my photo of Hilary Clinton with the former Polish President is one of my favorites I’ve ever taken. It was published in Poland moments after capture. Then forgotten by the world. But, for me, it was my 15 minutes of fame.
The next day I had to cut the grass and clean the garage.
