Uncle Ted for President

Famous people doing practically anything is newsworthy and can get you published.

John Jr. and Caroline, children of the late President John F. Kennedy, applaud as their uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, addresses supporters after winning the 1980 Ma. Democratic presidential primary over President Jimmy Carter (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
No matter where they went or what they did, the family of the late President John F. Kennedy, was news. As a result, his two children avoided the public eye when they could, making their every public appearance even more newsworthy. For their uncle’s primary victory party, their presence was not announced in advance, but most members of the press were hopeful and readying themselves to photograph JFK’s kids. Sure enough, on this evening they appeared on stage with the most of the Kennedy family to celebrate Ted’s win. Even a simple photo of them looking on and applauding was newsworthy because of their celebrity. Unfortunately, it was one of the few bright spots of Ted Kennedy’s presidential campaign as he lost his 1980 bid for the Democratic Party presidential nomination to incumbent Jimmy Carter.

3 Tips:
1) Practically any photo of famous people is newsworthy, especially people who are normally secluded from public view.
2) Expect security or a mass of media trying to follow and photograph famous people, which may restrict your photo opportunities.
3) Photograph the famous people doing something interesting or reacting to the event, along with tight head shots and facial expressions.