2008 Woodie Awards
Backstage pass at White House
By: Emily Dale Swoboda
Issue date: 3/3/05 Section: Culture
- Page 1 of 2 next >
|
"I'm looking at something I know I would never be able to see," said Van McElwee, professor of electronic and photographic media. "I want to just go into the pictures and see what's on the other side of the velvet rope."
As a member of the White House Press Corps for the last seven years, Usher, a Webster Groves native and graduate of Webster Groves High School, has been given a backstage pass to bear witness to what he calls "the machine that makes it happen."
He realized early that there are stories outside the political bubble that need to be told.
"It didn't take me long to figure out that this is the way I wanted to go," Usher said. "This project is still ongoing. I never stop it. It's always a work in progress. But right away I just realized it doesn't even matter who the president is. There is this whole machine that makes it happen, and no one ever sees that."
Usher said his philosophy is to look for the story. He considers himself to be apolitical.
"A lot of people wonder if I go in there with a vendetta to make a picture, but I don't," Usher said. "Regardless of who the president is, I'm about what the essence of that day or what that story is at that time."
Out of 20,000 photos taken, Usher chose 50 prints for this exhibit. Within those photos are Secret Service agents, White House staff members at Christmas parties, a weary interpreter taking a break, military cleaning the White House driveway and other candid shots showing the more personal aspects of life at the White House.
"Being Bill Clinton" is the title of one of the photos in the exhibit. Just before a press conference in the Oval office, Usher was able to get behind President Clinton's desk and take a picture from Clinton's perspective. This opportunity was made possible because he is very close with the Secret Service and other members of the White House staff, he said.