A sea of blue with touches of red. Hats resembling husks of corn and donkeys, and clothing printed with the faces of political figures. Peering through crowds and signs to get a glimpse of a speaker on stage. These are all glimpses into what photographer Evan Jenkins sees through the lens of his camera as he wanders through crowds at the 2024 Democratic National Convention taking place in Chicago this week. As attendees and delegates revel in the words spoken by speakers, from former president Barack Obama to Oprah Winfrey, TIME aims to give you a semblance of what it might feel like to be there.
For the past four days Jenkins has ventured into the United Center arena to capture the personality of the DNC as Democrats nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential candidate. Trading royal and poppy blue for the bright and fiery red of the Republican National Convention, where Jenkins was photographing only a month before. “It’s easy to slip into polemics and moralizing when it comes to political events,” says Jenkins when speaking about his experience photographing both conventions, “so my approach is to eschew those things in favor of showing how people express themselves individually and in a group when they believe in something strongly.”
Day 1: Screens show Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during her speech, Aug. 19; Day 1: Attendees hold ‘We Love Joe’ signs during President Joe Biden’s Speech, Aug. 19Evan Jenkins for TIME
While the space is filled with excitement and bright colors, Jenkins says things quickly begin to look the same. A true test for a photographer in an environment such as the DNC is to continue to make fresh images each day. “Without a doubt, the greatest challenge is to go to the same repetitive environment every day and find a way to make new images,” says Jenkins. “I’ve found that boredom is an incredibly powerful tool for me and I’ve learned to harness the creativity that can come from it”
The long and tedious days allow for time to settle into a space and find the unusual, or sit with a single image to make sure it is framed perfectly. “The spectacular elements of an event of that scale are what fascinate me, so I like to observe the macro dynamics at work and then zoom all the way into the individual elements – the people – that make that up”
Day 3: An attendee wears a top decorated with a photograph of Former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, Aug. 21; Day 2: DNC wristbands, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: Governor of Minnesota and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz during his speech, Aug. 21Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 2: An attendee in the crowd holds up a ‘freedom’ sign, Aug. 20; Day 1: A delegate wears a ‘Ceasefire Delegate’ shirt, Aug. 19Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: Representative Ilhan Omar attends the DNC, Aug. 21; Day 2: An attendee wears a dress and bag covered with women in politics, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 2: Former first lady Michelle Obama speaks to the crowd, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: CNN anchor Anderson Cooper looks toward the stage, Aug. 21; Day 3: Performers on stage with musicians John Legend and Sheila E., Aug. 21Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: Former President Bill Clinton seen on screens in the hallway of the arena, Aug. 21; Day 3: Former President Barack Obama seen through the lenses of an attendees’ glasses, Aug. 21Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 1: Attendees in the crowd hold ‘We Love Joe’ signs, Aug. 19Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 2: Attendees sit in the crowd, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 2: An attendee charges their phone behind a TV in the arena, Aug. 20; Day 2: An attendee wears a hat in the shape of an ear of corn, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: Attendees hand out signs that say ‘Coach Walz’ ahead of a speech from vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, Aug. 21; Day 3: An attendee in the crowd, Aug. 21Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: Remote cameras belonging to photographers from different publications seen inside the arena, Aug. 21Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 1: Attendees in the crowd, Aug. 19; Day 2: An attendee wears a hat that resembles a donkey, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: Attendees cheer during a speech, Aug. 21; Day 1: The crowd watches as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks, Aug. 19Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 2: An attendee with a cat phone case records on their phone, Aug. 20Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 3: An attendee holds up a large cut out of the face of vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz, Aug. 21; Day 1: An attendee wears a pink Kamala Harris cowboy hat, Aug. 19Evan Jenkins for TIMEDay 4: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on the last night of the DNC, Aug. 22Evan Jenkins for TIME
