Time magazine chose Tobias Hutzler for the incredible assignment of photographing Pope Francis during his recent visit to the United States, a project that involved not only an intense level of security checks and careful preparation but also the daunting task of capturing compelling images of an event that was being widely photographed by the press and onlookers alike.
“Acclaimed for his aerial viewpoints and wide angles, Hutzler faced a new challenge—how to combine his elaborate technique and aesthetic with the pace of breaking news and the scope of such a historical event,” writes Lucia De Stefani at Time‘s photo blog, Lightbox.
Tobias, who has photographed both the Chris Christie and Hillary Clinton presidential campaigns from his unique perspective, worked closely with Time‘s international photo editor, Michelle Molloy, so that he would have the access and equipment he needed to capture both the anticipated and the unexpected.
“When you’re there, it comes down to a such a small amount of time—maybe just a few seconds or a minute,” he says. “You have all this planning and you prepare, [but] having a fixed image in mind in that moment is the wrong choice because you’re trying to hold [onto] something and you’re losing out on what is really happening.”
Below, a handful of Tobias’ photos from his-six-day shoot following the Pope during his visits to Washington, D.C., New York City, and Philadelphia. See and read more at Lightbox: “Photographing the Pope From a Different Vantage Point.”
Members of the secret service, clergy, media, government and military personnel, and President Obama and his family, during the arrival of Pope Francis to the USA at Joint Base Andrews , Martyland, September 22, 2015. Photo by Tobias Hutzler for Time.
Pope Francis blesses an unidentified child in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., September 24, 2015. Photo by Tobias Hutzler for Time.
Pope Francis prays at the South Pool of the 9/11 Memorial in New York city, September 25, 2015. Photo by Tobias Hutzler for Time.
Pope Francis passes the crowds in his pope mobile on his way to speak at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, September 26, 2015. Photo by Tobias Hutzler for Time.