Photographing an Aging President Hinckley

June 23, 2007

Whether you believe him to be a prophet of God or not, you’ve got to be impressed with LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley’s stamina. At the age of 96, he leads a worldwide religion. And retirement is not an option. I’ve been on assignments following him throughout the United States and across Africa, and I’ve often found myself struggling to keep up with his fast pace. He seems to have hidden reservoirs of energy.

But as he ages, some are growing concerned with the image of him aging. There are those who would rather we not see photos that show the effects of age on the venerable church president. Maybe they think that such images highlight some sort of weakness on Hinckley’s part, or that seeing his physical frailty undermines the faith of his followers.

I disagree. President Hinckley is still coming to work every day, seemingly as sharp of mind as always. To me, this photograph of him walking into general conference illustrates that. Sure, he’s carrying his familiar cane and being helped to his seat by his secretary, Michael Watson. But remember, he is 96 years old. I feel that this photo says what I’m writing here: that the man is aging and yet still sharp of mind and wit.

I worry that with Hinckley getting older, the people overly concerned with his image may limit photographic access. And I don’t think these directives will come from Hinckley. The man is as humble as they come.

In the past, as church leaders Spencer Kimball and Ezra Taft Benson grew older, certain “close up” photos were discouraged. Access was limited. I work with one photographer, Rick Egan, who says he was once prevented from photographing Kimball in his later years. Here are Rick’s photos of that moment from a general conference in 1985:

Hopefully those times are in the past. I don’t think a photograph of an aging Hinckley affects anyone’s beliefs. If you believe that the man is a prophet of God, a photograph that shows he’s getting older shouldn’t alter your beliefs. And those who disbelieve will continue to do so.

Posted by trent | Filed Under On Assignment, Trent 

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Comments

One Comment to “Photographing an Aging President Hinckley”

  1. Mike Terry on June 23rd, 2007 4:08 pm

    It is kinda frustrating to me too. I Don’t think we should be trying to hide, the core of many LDS beliefs is that those who are in positions are in positions to serve not to be an iconic representation of something infallable or even more off the mark; not succeptable to age.

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