Yesterday I photographed my first freelance assignment since leaving Politico. I had been worried that since the credentialing process had long since passed, I wouldn’t be able to get a gig covering the inauguration. It turns out that I didn’t need a credential to get a sweet assignment.

Sommer Mathis, a former colleague at TBD.com, called me on Friday and asked if I’d like to shoot an assignment for her at The Atlantic Cities. She wanted to show what it’s like to navigate Washington, DC on the morning of inauguration. I was more than excited to get the gig, as I had navigated DC on inauguration two times before.

The concept was to show what it feels like to make your way through the crowds and lines and what you see and feel along the way. Was it chaos like four years ago? Was it controlled? What was the mood of the city? What was the landscape like as you made your way through the streets to the parade route? She wasn’t worried about the parade or the inauguration itself, and she wanted the images by 11 am so they could go up before the swearing in took place. She also asked me to write a few paragraphs to accompany the photos and it’d be put up in a blog post and picture essay.

This was my favorite type of assignment, the kind where I follow my eyes and my instincts and make cool looking pictures. Here are a few selects from my take, and the link to the story is here: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/01/inauguration-2013-ballet-logistics/4445/

On Friday I was let go from Politico, where I had worked for the last two years. It was unexpected, to say the least. They are undergoing changes and eliminated my position. I was the most recent hire in the department and, in turn, the first to be let go.

As I wrote in a letter to management, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I learned a lot and felt I was able to contribute to the team not only with photographs, but with reporting and storytelling. I have always considered myself a photojournalist; a reporter with a camera. I was able to flex my reporting skills, work sources, and chase leads. I was never prouder to represent an employer than I was at Politico.

I understand that Politico’s future is evolving and going in new directions. I’m excited to see the future of journalism continue to shift away from stories that publish in a print edition the next day to stories that publish immediately on the web and on tablets. I believe that the possibilities are limitless and the future is bright, especially for photography. The new media landscape will be more visual than ever before. I think where the folks at Politico and I differ is in the importance of original, staff-generated visual storytelling that goes beyond a simple collection of wire photos. Going forward, I will continue to produce compelling images and storytelling multimedia features.

So, what’s next? I’m going to keep doing what I do best: photograph politics and portraits. I know how to cover Capitol Hill. I have sources, I have connections, and I know who to know. I have access. I have a style that is different from other photographers; I know how to separate myself from the pack. I think I make some pretty compelling images of politics.

I also love to shoot portraits. I like interacting with people during a portrait session and making a connection. In my opinion, that’s the key to making a good portrait. At the end of the day, the portrait is just a sliver of time like any other picture. What is represented in that portrait is the connection that is made. If given the opportunity, I will make an engaging, insightful portrait.

Here is a collection of some of my favorite photographs from my time at Politico. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed making them.