“There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter.” - Barack Obama

With the right planning, you can find yourself within meters of a president, former president or would-be president. Over time, the playbook for these events becomes familiar: arrive hours in advance to secure a prime spot in line; chat with other supporters to pass the time; wait, wait and wait some more for the warm-up act; feel the electric atmosphere as the candidate or other main speaker arrives; listen to the stump speech on what is wrong, how the candidate can fix it and the call to action; join the enthusiastic applause at the end; and watch people scramble for selfies. As a photographer, I am a participant, but also a close observer – of expressions, gestures, lighting and angles. When the selfie scrum forms at the end, I hold back, my goal being not a selfie, but portraying the interaction in this very personal form of presidential politics.