The case for an official Presidential Photographer
Thalefang Charles | Friday June 26, 2015 15:09
On Tuesday, the Office of the President’s official Facebook page posted eight images of President Ian Khama’s state visit to France, where he toured the French Army Museum and Napoleon’s tomb this week.
The pictures were re-shared by the official government Facebook page BWGovernment, spreading them to a wider audience. By all accounts, all the pictures posted were appalling, disgraceful and unbefitting a head of state on an official visit in Europe.
The first image was the worst of the lot. It showed the President with two women, supposedly a guide and a translator (there was no caption) explaining something to the President. Khama and the other woman in the picture had ‘red-eye’ indicating that the photographer used a flashlight that was close to the lens. The low light and pixilation in the image also showed that the picture was shot using either a phone or tablet. The shoddy cropping of the image displayed the amateurism or carelessness of the photographer.
The rest of the images were equally bad: Blurry, pixillated and miserable composition! Ostensibly and rightfully embarrassed by the awful photography, the government’s social media pages tried to save face posting more professional pictures shortly thereafter.
However, in the process, a possible copyright infringement was committed as the new pictures were clearly copyrighted from the French presidency.
On Wednesday morning, the state newspaper, Daily News, splashed on its front page a low-resolution image of Khama being welcomed by French minister Annick Garardin.
A further search on the origin of this particular image shows that the picture was one of the pictures posted by Garardin and copyrighted to MAEDI/BChapiron - another possible copyright infringement by the state.
On Thursday, BWGovernment continued to potentially break intellectual property rules by posting watermarked pictures from Getty Images showing Khama and French President François Hollande looking on as ambassadors Samuel Outlule and Anne de la Blanche signed agreements. This happened because the President did not have an official photographer for the trip.
This current situation where the President does not have an official photographer is robbing Botswana of an illustrious photographic history.
We have already lost invaluable history from the past three presidents, as there are few images that can tell the story of Sir Ketumile Masire or Festus Mogae’s presidencies. This is despite the fact that they lead the country during the era of digital photography. It is even more surprising is that the Botswana government communication unit, under one of the country’s top historians, Dr Jeff Ramsay, could fail to create a position for a Presidential Photographer, especially in this day and age where there are many mediums for publishing.
Ramsay understands the value of history as well as the significance of visuals in telling history. He is the perfect man to guide a photographic pool on recording the presidential moments that will undoubtedly evolve into rich historical artefacts when the President leaves office.
This country has capable photographers to do the work. There are many talented lensmen who are battling to secure employment as photographers while the same office that claims to have headaches over creating serious jobs are sitting on obvious opportunities to at least take a few photographers off the streets.
With many local private universities having produced brilliant photographers, the government cannot hide on the lack of personnel to do the job. Hiring an official photographer would go a long way in creating employment. His work could be permanently exhibited in a Presidential Museum, which would tell a story of a specific presidency through images and others. It could even hire more personnel; that is how to write history in the new millennium.
The position of a presidential photographer is commonplace around the world’s state houses and it is best international practice. Countries have long understood the value of having a permanent photographer whose primary concern is taking pictures of the President.
The United States of America started it over 55 years ago. Most of the men and women who were privileged to be official US presidential photographers have produced books and contributed to museums for future generations.
All countries/presidents prefer to bring their own photographers because they know they have control over their man. Had Khama travelled with his official photographer, the government media would not have had that embarrassing and shameful moment of churning out copyrighted images belonging to the French or having to display the head of state with horrible ‘red-eye’ images. The presidential photographer would also guard the image of the President and save him from events such as the France debacle. As Number One Photographer he would use state of the art equipment for his job and the images would not be an embarrassment to photographers and the President himself.
To most people, their first memory of Khama is an image of him handing out blankets or his likeness on the P10 note. A photographer travelling and spending time with Khama, would reveal to us the President’s private moments when he is at his office working. We would also see him beyond the official suits and ties. These images would not just be for the media if need be, but for historical archives depicting the life of the President in office.
One of Khama’s most popular stories that reverberated around headlines worldwide, was about his brush with a cheetah. We received numerous enquiries from international wire services requesting a picture of the President with cheetah scratches, but no one had them.
A presidential photographer would also assist in the constant battle with the President’s logistics people on how to allow photographers to do their work.
The officers would also learn to give space to photographers to capture the President without being hindered by security detail.
If US photographers are able to capture President Barack Obama without the secret service blocking the picture, then it should be possible with Khama.
His office would grow to appreciate photography unlike today where some feel they can just shoot the President with a tablet/smartphone and share with the official government media.
The post for an official presidential photographer is long overdue and I posit that it be created and filled as soon as possible.