I did not attend the Obama rally in Frederickburg, Virginia in order to get this shot. Although I am an event photographer here, this wasn't a photography gig. My family wanted to hear Senator Obama and Senator Biden speak.  

The four of us -- me, my wife, 15-year-old Taylor, and 13-year-old Hunter -- lined up with thousands of others at about noon in order to enter at 3PM with the hope of getting a good seat. The crowd was overwhelming and the mood palpably positive. Over 26,000 people turned up in a town with a total population of only about 21,000. I gave up the idea of getting any decent shots of the senator about the time we found ourselves wedged mid-way in the throng. When the first downpour began at 5:30 pm, I covered my camera with plastic and hoped to get a semi-decent souvenir shot. It temporarily stopped raining when Senator Biden took the podium at about 7 pm. Senator Obama sat close by on a stool, listening intently to his running mate.  

On a wish and a prayer, I lofted my Nikon D300 as far over the heads of the thousands in front of me as I could and snapped.  

The resulting picture reveals everything I have come to appreciate in Senator Obama: poise, strength, compassion, and hope. He is surrounded by supporters of all ages, races, and backgrounds who had also waited for hours in heat and rain. Clearly nobody minded the wait or the weather. My family and I felt as if we were part of an important historic moment -- something infinitely bigger than ourselves, a sentiment I believe Barack Obama shares.