Rare News Desk
A quick scroll through Gage Skidmore’s Flickr accounts shows that the 21-year-old photographer has covered a lot of ground and mingled with some of the biggest, most interesting names in the political business, in just a few years.
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There are, to name just a few, images of Dr. Ben Carson, Mike Lee, Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, Ron and Rand Paul. Lots of Rand Paul. Rand was, after all, where it all began.
A native of southern Indiana, Skidmore told Rare he started photography at age 16 “on a whim,” taking pictures of Rand Paul “when he was simply a small town ophthalmologist in Kentucky in early November 2009.”
Since buying a high-end camera with money he saved up himself, Skidmore has become one of the most prolific political photographers around, traveling across the country from event to event, honing his skills and developing valuable point-and-click relationships.
Rand Paul was one of the people with whom Skidmore developed a relationship early on. The Kentucky politician showed him kindness “even when I was just some photo kid who was too young to vote and didn’t even live in the same state.”
Skidmore’s career has taken him out of his comfort zone. For someone who describes himself as “not particularly adventurous at heart,” the young shutterbug has traveled extensively and captured some of the country’s history. During the 2012 election, for instance, Skidmore found himself flying all across the country and staying at strangers’ homes at least once or twice a month for an entire year.
A sampling of some of Skidmore’s most recent snaps (there are pages upon pages of pictures on Flickr) show close-ups from a rally in Phoenix, a lunch with Rand Paul in Las Vegas, various CPACs, and San Diego’s ComicCon for good measure.
Skidmore has had the opportunity to work at some unique behind-the-scenes events. He names as his favorite project to work on Ron Paul’s annual BBQ at his home in Lake Jackson. “[I] was able to photograph some intimate moments between Ron, his family, and his trusted friends,” he said.
“It was really redeeming to be recognized by someone who I admire so much.”
He has also experienced his fair share of chaotic challenges within the media frenzy, but the positive responses are worth it to him.
“The best part for me is always, and will always be, the positive reaction I receive from anyone who considers my work worthwhile,” Skidmore said.
“It really gets me going and inspires me to work hard to be able to enjoy the end result once I press that upload button for the world to see what I was able to capture.”
Skidmore is currently taking time to focus on earning his accounting degree, and is about to go into his third year of college. He does freelance work for various organizations throughout the year, and says he misses “the excitement of travelling on the campaign trail, and photographing event after event.”
He hopes that this is something he’ll be able to participate in next year. Given his skill behind the lens, that seems likely.
Skidmore’s advice to fellow photographers looking for similar success? Practice, practice, practice.
“Practice as much as you can so you are able to get the best shots when it really matters,” he says. “When I look back at some of my earlier photos, I always see a lot of missed opportunities, and things that I would have done very differently.”
The rules for becoming a successful photographer are no different from the usual guidelines for success in other fields. Skidmore emphasizes the importance of developing relationships with the people behind the scenes. And as far as equipment and resources go, he says, “Get the best that you can afford, and if you can’t afford much at first you can always upgrade later.”
Check out more of Skidmore’s work here and here.
