Why good political photo-ops don't happen by accident
Alison Crawford | CBC News | Posted: September 28, 2015 4:59 PM | Last Updated: September 28, 2015
What goes into an election photo-op and why are they still so important? The CBC's Alison Crawford explains
It takes weeks to plan them well.
Campaign organizers must select the perfect backdrop — either a friendly crowd or a gorgeous landscape — to drive home a message about their candidate or the party's message.
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They give advice, although not always welcome, about what the politician should wear, what they should do and then instruct the photographers and videographers where to stand.
Then they cross their fingers and hope the candidate doesn't drop the ball, put the hard hat on backwards or get kicked by the horse.
We all know a photo opp when we see it.
No matter how professional the campaign team, there's almost always something that tips off the viewer that what they're seeing didn't happen naturally.
And despite being a mainstay of election campaigns for decades, in an era where voters have access to a constant stream of images on their mobile devices, these contrived events have never been so crucial.
Watch the CBC's Alison Crawford explain just how important photo ops still are in the age of social media in the video above.