A Look Back at Donald Trump’s Presidential Inauguration
On January 19th, 2017, I packed up my camera bag and headed down to Washington DC along with my good friend, Marcin, to document Donald Trump's presidential inauguration. Like many, I was confused by the American political landscape and what was to come when Trump took the reins. So, I decided to go and try to get an in-person glimpse of this moment in time.
I took an early flight the day before and walked around all day to try and get a feel for the atmosphere on the streets and the crowd that traveled from all across the U.S for this event. Aside from a few brief moments of action, it was quiet out and incredibly underwhelming considering a new American president would be inaugurated in the next 24 hours. The photos below might give you the opposite impression, but the volume of people around felt extremely vacant being there in person.
On the morning of the 58th presidential inauguration, we set out for Washington DC. 5 am to be exact. As it turns out, Pennsylvania Avenue, which is the main parade route, was sectioned into shorter stretches, and each area had designated security gates to ensure the safety of anyone getting close to the parade. The lineup to get in took hours and meant that we had to commit to a specific section if we wanted to document the parade.
The experience of photographing this event was formidable. I especially remember all the pre-existing ideas I had of what this day would be like, and how so many of them shattered in my face. As a documentary photographer, I try my best to be neutral. We all have our views and opinions, but for me, photographing high-conflict situations helps me grow as an individual and educate myself on the spectrum of society.
One of the things that I'll never forget is the moment Donald Trump was sworn in; it started raining. It was overshadowed by some of the crowd's reactions but nonetheless a timing worth mentioning. In that very moment, I was surrounded by anti-Trump activists.
Shortly after, as the parade started, Marcin and I were hoping to get a snap of President Trump walking down Pennsylvania Avenue. Marcin, brilliantly, suggested getting as close to the Trump Hotel as possible as it was more likely that Trump would take advantage of the potential photo opportunity. So we did, and so he did.
As the evening fell, we made our way to Franklin Park to document some of the protests that went on into the night.
The day after the presidential inauguration, the streets of Washington, D.C., filled to the max for the Women's March, and the capital was colored in pink. However, this will have to wait for another post.
Thanks for tuning in,
Shlomi