What do two of the subjects of my previous post, Reuters Senior Photographer Kevin Lamarque, US President George W Bush and a turkey called “Liberty” have in common? The answer, is a photograph which still makes me chuckle as I look at it on my wall five years later. 

At an annual event in the run up to Thanksgiving, the President “pardons” a turkey but in 2001 having spared the life of the aforementioned Liberty, the ungrateful fowl repaid this magnaminous gesture with a breach of protocol. Lamarque captures the moment perfectly. The President’s eyebrows arch upwards in surprise and the smiles frozen on the faces of the helpless “turkey industry representitives” speak volumes.

In Europe news media ran the image for weeks after the event, although it was less than universally popular in the USA.

However lessons were learned and as Jason Reed’s picture of the 2006 event shows, the turkey’s liberty has been curtailed.  

Once bitten twice shy?

You have to be there because routine comings and goings have the potential to become news when the subject is President of the United States. Even so, ”President George W. Bush carrying dog Barney descends the steps of Air Force One on his arrival in Waco, Texas, May 18, 2007″ is a photo caption to pique the interest of only the most passionate pro-Bush, plane-spotting, Barney fan.

But just look at Kevin Lamarque’s stunning picture of the event. 

Nothing happened. Shot against a bright blue background the President looks down as he watches his footing and the viewer’s attention passes to Barney and is held by the tiny pin point of light reflected from the dog’s eye as it stares intently into the distance.

Nobody slipped, nobody got bitten, but you don’t need a news hook when the pictures are this good.