I can’t believe I haven’t published this photo before. It grips me. It speaks to me. The rest of the world might hate it, but I don’t care. I took this photo a long time ago. And I took it for myself.
I’ve learned that that’s an important thing to do. So often, as a photojournalist, I’m told where to go and what to photograph. But even when I’m out looking to tell someone else’s story with a photo, I’m always looking for photos that I want to take for myself.
This image was taken while on a 2008 People at Work assignment and I just stumbled upon it today while working in my archives.
Why do I love this photo? There’s something about the red tones, the texture of the carpet and the contrast created by the whites of Elmo’s eyes.
— SAM HODGSON