Name: A Conn. photographer took the shot that became the Bernie Sanders mitten meme
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A Conn. photographer took the shot that became the Bernie Sanders mitten meme

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateNEWTOWN — You can ask Brendan Smialowski how he feels about his poignant photograph of Sen. Bernie Sanders in big mittens becoming across the internet on Thursday.You also might be able to guess that it’s a tricky question for the Newtown High School graduate, who has traveled with President George W. Bush to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with President Barack Obama to Nelson Mandela’s funeral, and with President Donald Trump to his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Demilitarized Zone.“I am not crazy about (my photojournalism) becoming memes but I am glad to have eyes on my work,” said the 40-year-old father of one, who works for the wire service Agence France-Presse.“We’re journalists, and we don’t get to pick and choose how people react to things,” he continued during an interview Thursday from his home in Washington, D.C. “It’s okay for people to take a break from the heavy journalism and find lighthearted moments.”Smialowski’s image of Sanders sitting cross-legged in a comfortable winter coat and oversized Vermont mittens before Wednesday’s inauguration quickly became the top trending topic on Twitter.The speed and ease-of-access with which the internet works means you may have awoken Thursday to see Sanders photoshopped any number of strange places — from a New York City subway car to the table at The Last Supper.More News“It’s hard to say why something becomes a meme — there’s no logic to it,” Smialowski said. “When you look at them in hindsight they sort of make sense.”The random dynamics of the meme contrast with the Smialowski takes to his assignments.“I try to make thoughtful and layered images,” Smialowski said. “I try to shoot everything as a story.”That was Smialowski’s mindset on Wednesday with his camera following lawmakers and dignitaries arriving in style at the Capitol for the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.There was Sanders, the Independent with the tussled hair, sitting in a folding chair, portraying his own style of power politics.“He’s a powerhouse with a brand of politics that is very popular,” Smialowski said, explaining his thinking as he composed the shot. “I was trying to document history — you don’t want it to be remembered because people are making fun of it.”Anyone who’s worked with Smialowski, such as his former photo editor at The News-Times, knows that Smialowski doesn’t have an attitude.Still attending Newtown High School, Smialowski shot freelance for the weekly Newtown Bee. He moved on to shoot assignments while an intern with The News-Times.“He was very creative and insightful and hard-working,” said veteran photographer Carol Kaliff, a former photo editor at The News-Times. “A lot of young photographers think they know everything and there was none of that in him — he was years ahead of his age in his ability and the way he conducted himself.”Smialowski, who said he has covered four presidents, two wars, and more than a few major disasters, said this is not his first viral meme.In early 2017, his picture of then-senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway sitting on her knees looking at her cellphone in an Oval Office crowded with people “sent Twitter into a tizzy,” according to .“Honestly, I am one of those guys who is very lucky,” Smialowski said. “I have a job that I not only enjoy but believe in.”rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateNEWTOWN — You can ask Brendan Smialowski how he feels about his poignant photograph of Sen. Bernie Sanders in big mittens becoming across the internet on Thursday.You also might be able to guess that it’s a tricky question for the Newtown High School graduate, who has traveled with President George W. Bush to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with President Barack Obama to Nelson Mandela’s funeral, and with President Donald Trump to his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the Demilitarized Zone.“I am not crazy about...

A Conn. photographer took the shot that became the Bernie Sanders mitten meme

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