photography

Anticipating the inauguration of President Barack Obama, Twin Cities photographer Alec Soth compiled a series of photos entitled, “The Last Days of W.” Taking its title from a poem by Lester B. Morrison, the series (and book) offers a poetic look at the country George W. Bush leaves behind. Shot in Minnesota and across the United States, the works represent “a panoramic look at a country exhausted by its catastrophic leadership.”

Doing online journalism on a shoestring budget means borrowing, buying and shooting our own photographs. With high-profile events in the Twin Cities this year, from the September Rage Against the Machine Concert in Minneapolis and RNC events in St. Paul to a particularly exciting election day, we hired some freelancers and fired up our own cameras, capturing some memorable and — dare we say — historic images.

A few government-issue desks or folding tables. Stacks of paper. Bleary-eyed officials peering at the umpteenth ink-smudged ballot. This week’s statewide recount has offered little in the way of fodder for photojournalists looking for compelling imagery. Here’s a look at the best and the worst, plus a word on the topic from Twin Cities photographers Alec Soth and Paul Shambroom, a former photojournalist whose fine art work has included a project focusing on government meetings.