NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) — Jacquelyn Martin has been a photojournalist for The Associated Press, based in Washington, D.C., since 2006. She has traveled the world covering every Secretary of State for 15 years.

Here’s what she has to say about this extraordinary photo.

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Why this photo

The president getting on and off Air Force One is a very common photograph to make when on a presidential trip – and it’s a challenge to make it look different or interesting. However, it’s important to make this photo as a record of where the President is and where he is heading, as part of the historical record.

How I made this photo

I typically travel with less gear on trips but in this case I had brought a 200-600mm lens as I wasn’t sure how far away the pool (the small group of reporters that travel with the president on behalf of the broader media) would be from any storm damage in Texas, or across the field at the soccer final. Because I had this lens with me I decided to try some shots with it over the weekend trip.

This photo was made after the president attended the FIFA Club World Cup soccer final, and he wasted no time getting on the plane. The press van is quite far back in the motorcade, and I had to jump out and run as he was already heading up the stairs as I arrived. I decided to use the longer lens and get him boarding the plane any way I could. There was no real time to frame it or analyze it, so I used a lot of muscle memory. The light was bouncing off the plane, it was a bright afternoon with nice light, and I’m always looking to get a reflection image. I also like how the president tends to touch the outside of the door frame as he steps inside – it’s a humanizing touch that unifies the frame.

Why it works

The nice light bouncing off the metal of the plane makes a fill light on the president so that he isn’t in shadow. It also made for a clean, crisp reflection that we don’t usually see, bringing this image above and beyond the typical waving at the top of the stairs picture. It’s always nice to make an atypical image of a commonplace scene.

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