NYC Editorial Portraits with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Photographing AOC for The New Yorker

In 2019, The New Yorker commissioned me to photograph Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the article “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the 2020 Presidential Race and Trump’s Crisis at the Border.”

The assignment came with very little shooting time, so the important work happened before she arrived. I needed a simple setup, a clear plan, and a location that would let me start immediately.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, photographed by David Pexton for The New Yorker, 2019

Preparing for the Shoot

I scouted the location in advance and found that David Remnick’s office had strong natural light from a large window.

Rather than bring in a complicated lighting setup, I chose to work with the available light and a single large reflector. The aim was to keep the room clear, move quickly, and avoid losing time to equipment once AOC arrived.

By the time she entered the office, the camera position, background and light were already worked out.

Five Minutes with AOC

Her schedule was tight, and I had less than five minutes to make the portraits.

When she arrived, we spoke briefly about my accent and how long I had been living in New York. It was a small exchange, but it gave us a natural starting point before the camera came up.

I placed her near the window and kept the direction simple, making small adjustments to her position and angle as I worked. There was no time to overcomplicate the session. I needed to pay attention, give clear direction, and make each frame count.

Within those few minutes, we produced a series of direct, natural portraits that worked for the article and the space available.

A simple setup and a clear plan

This was a small shoot in terms of time and equipment, but it depended on preparation.

Scouting the room meant I knew where I wanted her to stand. Using natural light meant there was very little to adjust. Keeping the direction straightforward allowed the session to move quickly without making it feel rushed.

Seeing the final portrait published in The New Yorker was an important moment for me, but the process was the same one I bring to other assignments: prepare carefully, keep the setup appropriate to the job, and give the person in front of the camera clear direction.

We also photograph executive and press portraits in New York City for leadership profiles, publications and speaking engagements.