The call came unexpectedly - and provided nil notice; it was from a source that I had developed in this county’s Republican Party organization - who was at the level at which the “official” Republican Party and the Tea Party interfaced and seemed to merge, providing good information on both. The source told me that Mitt Romney’s son Tagg was going to be appearing locally to campaign for his father - in a couple hours - at county GOP headquarters.
What the source didn’t know was distances, whether a campaign bus would come, or other details essential to choosing which lens to use - my 24-70mm or my 70-200mm, the latter of which I’d used at a Newt Gingrich campaign stop in April during the fading days of Gingrich’s own presidential campaign. In the end, I chose the 24-70mm - which proved to be an excellent decision.
When I got to county GOP headquarters to cover this story, the place already was packed - very different from all the earlier events that I’d covered there during the presidential campaign.
Tagg Romney arrived - and, with a huge campaign sign as backdrop, spoke to the crowd as I shot photos. He was a far better speaker than his father the candidate - never a good situation for a presidential candidate! The next morning, my photo of Tagg Romney speaking in front of that huge sign (below) was running atop three stories in the London Telegraph. A headshot photo of Tagg Romney that I’d shot there ran in the London Daily Mail. Unfortunately, what I’d say was the best photo I’d shot there - a “shot for the Jumbotrons” photo of Tagg Romney, who’s been urged to run for Congress, autographing yard signs - has yet to run.