Gov. Tina Kotek, left, hugs her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, and her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
Aimee Wilson, left, and her wife, Gov. Tina Kotek, hold hands and patiently wait for their cue to enter House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, and her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, and her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
Gov. Tina Kotek, right, whispers to her wife, Aimee Wilson, left, and her wife, before entering House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTEBOOK: A moment in Oregon’s history as seen through my lens
Two fellow photojournalists and I were allowed to capture the historic moment when Tina Kotek, soon to be governor, stood with her wife and rewrote Oregon history books.
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, hugs her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Gov. Tina Kotek leads her wife, Aimee Wilson, into House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, and her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Aimee Wilson, left, and her wife, Gov. Tina Kotek, hold hands and patiently wait for their cue to enter House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, reacts with her wife, Aimee Wilson, after being sworn in as Oregon’s 39th governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, and her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Gov. Tina Kotek, left, and her wife, Aimee Wilson, share moments with one another as they stand and wait on the second floor of the state capitol before heading downstairs to the Oregon House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
PMG Photo: Jaime Valdez
Gov. Tina Kotek, right, whispers to her wife, Aimee Wilson, left, and her wife, before entering House Chamber on the day Kotek is sworn in to be Oregon’s next governor.
When covering the swearing-in of new legislators at the Oregon State Capitol before each session, it is usually very straightforward. Photographers and other media members find their way to the gallery in the House chambers, find a spot in the seating area, set up and take photos of many legislators in our coverage areas and do the same in the Senate.
But this year was different. Because the Capitol is under construction, there was the discussion in an email among media members about the Monday, Jan. 9, swearing-in events to be handled by pool photographers. That usually means one photographer and one video person covers the event and provides artwork for every other media outlet afterward. But by Sunday, the day before the event, we were notified that there wouldn’t be those restrictions after all.
"Because of this job, I have grown as a person by learning what makes people unique. I like to make a connection with people to tell a story. Sometimes it is challenging, sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s sad, but I love it all."
