In the latest instalment of the documentary series InFrame, filmmaker Bas Berkhout followed Associated Press photographer Andrew Harnik for an inside look at his daily life. It includes everything from a White House scrum to AP offices where photographs are edited and sent to newspapers around the world. It’s the most fast-paced episode of this Vimeo Staff Pick’ed project and tells the important story of photojournalists that strive to show the truth in a confusing climate of “fake news.”
Working for AP, Washington D.C. native Andrew Harnik is one of the few photojournalists with access to document the inner world of American politics. He’s been covering politics in D.C. since 2003, and has shot some of the most important moments of the Obama administration as well as President Trump.
“One of the most important things, we as photographers at the Associated Press do in Washington, D.C., is cover the President,” Harnik says. “We cover him more than any other news organization does. We staff the White House from 7:00 in the morning until 9:30 at night. We travel with him wherever he goes.”
During the run-up to last year’s election, Harnik spent most of his time documenting both Hillary and Trump on the campaign trail. Harnik’s photos of the tense 2016 campaign stand out from other press coverage in their attention to small details and emotion. Capturing everything from screaming crowds, quiet moments of the candidates preparing to talk, and Trump tossing a MAGA hat into the crowd, Harnik’s political photojournalism is both precise and full of feeling.
Watch the full episode of InFrame and check out behind the scenes shots below. You can find more of Andrew Harnik’s work on his portfolio.