For many Americans, the horror and gravity of the shooting that occurred Saturday night at a rally in support of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania was quickly brought home by one image: the former president, his face bathed in blood, raising his fist in defiance.
One of the most widely shared photos was taken by Associated Press chief photographer Evan Vucci. It is one of many photos taken in the aftermath of the shooting that will surely enter the pantheon of American photography.
“The pinnacle of photojournalism. A perfectly framed image illustrating a historical story,” wrote Matina Stevis-Gridneff, a journalist at New York Timeson X, about the photo of Mr. Vucci.
When Mr. Trump began speaking Saturday, four press room photographers were positioned around the stage in a so-called “buffer,” which was just five to 10 feet from the president. When the gunfire began, the photographers scrambled to get into a better position to capture the chaos, risking being caught in the crosshairs.
According to photographers, Donald Trump’s team normally gives photographers five minutes at the beginning of every campaign speech to take pictures; in this case, because the shooting happened at the beginning of the event, photographers were able to capture it up close.
Mr. Vucci was on the left side of the stage and ran toward where he thought Mr. Trump would exit after the shooting began, along with other photographers.
The only thing I kept telling myself was, ‘Slow down. Slow down. Frame. Slow down.’ I knew I had to get it. It was such an important moment in American history. It had to be documented. If you don’t keep your head, you can’t do this work.
Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci
Mr. Vucci, who has worked for the news agency for 20 years, said he was not afraid, although some members of the campaign team worried about the possibility of a second shooter.
“I never thought about it for a second,” he said. “I have to be there. I can’t hide. I can’t hide behind the scenes. I have to do my job.”
Jabin Botsford, photographer for the Washington Postwas moving from the back of the stage to the front when the shooting began.
PHOTO JABIN BOTSFORD, WASHINGTON POST
Secret Service agents protect the former president seconds after the shooting.
I heard the first noise and I thought, ‘Oh, this is weird. Fireworks.’ It was very scary. Nobody knew what was happening. The president fell to the ground and I was going to take a picture, even though the staff told me, ‘You have to get down on the ground.’
Jabin Botsford, Washington Post photographer
Mr Botsford was also able to take video of the incident because he was wearing Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses that can take 30-second videos and somehow he had the reflex to turn them on.
Doug Mills, photographer of the Timeswas able to capture what appeared to be the flow of the bullet through the air as it passed Mr. Trump’s head. Former Associated Press photographer Haraz N. Ghanbari called it a “remarkable photo.”
PHOTO DOUG MILLS, THE NEW YORK TIMES
Annotated photo that appears to show the bullet that hit the former president’s ear
Mr. Mills, in an interview with the Timessaid photographers were “scrambling around trying to get normal pictures,” until he heard what he thought was a loud pop from a car. Mr. Trump “came down behind the lectern and I was like, ‘Oh my God, something happened.’”
As he rushed to get a better shot, Mr Mills said he feared for his life. “At first I thought, ‘Could I be shot?’ It was scary. I’ve never seen anything so horrific.”
Anna Moneymaker, a photographer for the Getty agency, managed to photograph Donald Trump on the scene, apparently caught between the legs of an officer.
PHOTO ANNA MONEYMAKER, GETTY IMAGES
Donald Trump, on the ground, after being hit by a bullet
The photographers received much praise for their work, especially in a chaotic situation.
“The event [de samedi] “This only reinforces the critical importance of photojournalists being present and close to candidates and elected officials,” said Jessica Koscielniak, president of the White House Press Photographers Association.
Their iconic photos were immediately seen around the world and would be added to the indelible visual record of history.
Jessica Koscielniak, president of the White House Press Photographers Association
After the shooting, photographers went into a holding tent for about 30 minutes, Mills said. They emerged to take pictures of the empty lot and items left there, including cellphones and a motorized wheelchair.
“We entered a complete vacuum,” Botsford said.
Mr. Vucci was among the Associated Press photographers who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2021 for their coverage of the protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He has also photographed combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, an experience he says has helped him stay calm and collected.
My job as a photographer is to show the viewer, through my eyes, the world in front of me. I feel like that’s what we’ve all done.
Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci
Mr. Botsford, like Mr. Vucci, had little time to rest or reflect on what happened Saturday.
“I’m still trying to process it all,” he said Sunday from his hotel in Milwaukee. “There’s a lot going on in my head. It’s still disbelief.”
This article was published in the Washington Post.
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