The following work documents the 92nd legislative session for the Arkansas House of Representatives. This session we were given unprecedented access to the committee rooms, the floor of the House of Representatives, and other areas of the Capitol (in comparison, the Arkansas Senate doesn't allow photographers on the floor). The photographs showed not only the daily proceedings but were there to humanize the legislators, to demonstrate public servants working on their constituents' behalf, to and as an avenue to deliver up-to-date information on the proceedings.  Pictures were paired with informational write-ups (daily, as well as, weekly summaries) that were shared via the Arkansas House of Representatives website.

Concomitantly, the photographs allowed us to deliver a new level of transparency to further ensure good governance and enable accountability.  The photographs were released alongside other media materials (reports, videos, graphic design, audio, agendas, and legislative updates) to add context and to richen the output of the Communications department.

The photographic series allowed for a unique opportunity to document the behind-the-scenes work. I was not limited to only shooting in the formal situations. As a photographer, I strived to share the experiences and sights throughout the legislative process.

The project created a unique experience for constituents in that it allowed a previously unseen window into the state legislature.  We made sure to not only include photographs of the legislators but of the many staff, volunteers, and public who engaged and supported the legislative session. Also, photographs of the constituents who participated as pages/ special guests/ etc. were emailed their photographs by Communications' staff as a memento of their time and as a thank you for their participation.

Daily write-ups of the bills passing through the various legislative committees, as well as daily and weekly summaries of what has passed the floor of the House of Representatives were included alongside daily photographs to better inform constituents and the public-at-large. This content was utilized on the official website; as well, as on social media.

As a government entity, our primary goal is to serve and represent our citizens. The work of the Communications department, and the resulting photographs, are there to support that goal and used its platform to inform our constituents.

Additionally, the connotative performance of government is usually a negative one - e.g., mired in red-tape and bureaucracy, etc. We used the access and photographs to show the human side of the House of Representatives.  All of our 100 members are there in a part-time capacity and have lives outside of their official roles. Ideally, these photographs demonstrated the compassion, dedication, commitment, and joy for helping others that I experienced as I took these photos.

The images will be archived and used for generations to come.  We have started a process of reviving and printing old photographs from previous legislative sessions. These photographs were created to be printed alongside previous materials, to stand the test of time, and provide an accurate representation the 2019 legislative session. 

In an era known for partisanship, we regularly featured the camaraderie and the routine efforts to work collectively, collaboratively,  and the 'working across the aisles' required to deliver substantive policies for Arkansans. 

The work created during this past legislative session was unprecedented, with regard to photographic documentation and summation of legislative activities.  The work produced and the way that information was shared with the public (particularly through the legislative members' pages and media) has changed our approach to how we communicate and our role in how we portray the work of the public servants serving Arkansas. We have already started looking at our organizational capacity and roles in light of the work we created during this past legislative session.