Casually beginning my Monday with a latte and Sunrise Earth on the TV, I received a call from the New York Times in regards to a photoshoot in the coming days.  As I have enjoyed working with them  in the past, I agreed and learned that the photograph would be of the Honorable Justice Sandra Day O’ConnorIn all honesty, I knew who she was, but intricate details of her background had escaped me.  As is common practice on all my photoshoots, I began my research into Justice O’Connor for I barely knew what she looked like for all I had remember of her appearance was from a statue that graced the law school at ASU, which is named after her.  A quick wiki later and I found myself in disbelief over the power that she possessed, once being considered one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes.  A woman from a humble beginning on a ranch in Texas, a Stanford grad, and the first woman Supreme Court Justice.

Sandra Day O' Connor photographed by Blair Bunting

You can imagine my surprise then when I pulled up to her house and there she stood, in front of her open garage asking if I needed any help setting up.  I assured her my assistants would get it all done as the Justice and I proceeded to look around for a place to set up a backdrop.  During this time we also talked of ourcourts.org , the Justice’s current project aimed at educating our youths about the government.  She has a great interest in making the government less obscure and more embraced by our generations to come, and has taken to making appearances on shows such at The Daily Show in an effort to get the word out.

A great storyteller, Justice O’Connor and I talked throughout the entire photoshoot and I am richer for the experience, as there are not many people that can tell you what it was like to look out from the inauguration platform and see the millions of people in the background behind the President.  Too quickly the photoshoot was done and the Justice had to leave, but she left me with this…  “John Stewart was incredibly intelligent, and a great interviewer….  You could be the John Stewart of Photography.” …………………This is why I live to be a photographer.

The New York Times Magazine with the article and image of Justice O’Connor hits newsstands this weekend, please go grab one, I assure you it will be a good read