Covering a leadership challenge is like being inside a big washing machine, constantly changing direction, swirling under an onslaught of rapidly changing information and events. Here, photographer Alex Ellinghausen explains his behind-the-scenes role in recording an extraordinary fortnight in Australian politics.

Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Q: Anyone can take a picture but why is photographing politicians so different and difficult? A: A common misconception is that this job only lets you photograph boring people in suits at a podium. The reality is far from that. It's a study of human behaviour. I find it fascinating to watch body language betray what is actually being said by politicians as they address the media. Declarations of "full support" for an embattled prime minister are followed by little huddles in deep discussion at the back of the chamber with furrowed brows. Luckily Parliament House is a magnificent building with beautiful light streaming through windows and courtyards at various times of the day and when all the elements come together it just works. I get to tell a story with every image, and help readers understand more about who represents them in Canberra and what they're really up to when they're here. Q: Take us through one of your busiest days during the fortnight. A: The busiest actually wasn't the day Malcolm Turnbull lost the prime ministership, but the day before. It started with a very early morning stakeout to see whether Peter Dutton was on his usual walk with Mathias Cormann, a close friend but at that point still a Turnbull supporter. Mr Dutton later convened a snap morning press conference with just 11 minutes' notice to call for a second party room meeting. Things moved very quickly and senior government figures such as Senator Cormann, Mitch Fifield and Michaelia Cash publicly declared the prime minister had lost their support. The government then cancelled the House of Representatives to avoid the scrutiny of question time - something I had never seen before. Mr Turnbull then called a press conference to state the conditions required for a second party room meeting and announce he would quit Parliament if a spill went ahead. It was a day that started at 5am and didn't finish until 10pm. A dramatic sunrise sweeps over Canberra ahead of a dramatic day in national politics. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Peter Dutton working the phones as he arrives at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Michaelia Cash, Mathias Cormann and Mitch Fifield announce their resignations from the Turnbull ministry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen


Liberal MPs believe former prime minister Tony Abbott joined forces with Peter Dutton to end Malcolm Turnbull's prime ministership. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The empty House of Representatives chamber after it adjourned early on Thursday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Furious crossbench MPs Adam Bandt, Andrew Wilkie, Cathy McGowan and Rebekha Sharkie vote against closing down the House of Representatives. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Q: What was your favourite picture from the fortnight, and what did it take to get it? A: It's hard to pick a favourite shot but the varied reactions of the leadership contenders entering and exiting after the final spill were really interesting. Mr Dutton and Senator Cormann walked in with giant Cheshire cat grins but walked out looking like they had swallowed slugs. Later, as Mr Turnbull's family stood next to him at his farewell press conference, we got a reminder that our politicians are human just like the rest of us. Despite all that had happened, I saw a man that will be spending more time with a family he clearly loves dearly. Malcolm Turnbull kisses his wife Lucy as daughter Daisy and grandchildren Jack and Alice stand by. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen


Malcolm Turnbull, holding granddaughter Alice, waves goodbye as grandson Jack plays with the media. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Q: Do you ever have a moment to stop and relate, as a person, to the image of someone who has just been stripped of the prime ministership? A: As a press gallery photographer, the fear of missing out is real. When you miss a shot you get really cranky and it changes your mood for the rest of the day. But when you see someone who has lost the prime ministership, you get a bit of perspective and your bad day becomes a little bit better. Q: How many metres do you think you walked lugging your camera gear last week? A: On a regular parliamentary sitting day, I would probably average about 25,000 steps a day. On a week like last week, it would be more than 30,000. Assignments at Parliament House never seem to happen at regular intervals - it's always two or three things happening at the exact same time at various parts of the building, followed by a two-hour lull. There is a lot of "rush-to-wait" and "wait-to-rush". Julie Bishop thanks her colleagues, friends and family during her final press conference as foreign minister. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The contrast of Julie Bishop's red shoes against a sea of black footwear spoke to the Liberal Party's issues with female representation. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen


Julie Bishop walks away after her final press conference as a cabinet minister. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Q) What was the most difficult shot to get? And how did you finally get there? A: The hardest task was locking in a strong picture of Mr Dutton earlier in the week, while he was still keeping a low profile. He didn't appear to be doing his regular morning walks, he wasn't doing any media in the press gallery and the only time we briefly saw him was when he had to attend question time, and even then, he didn't say much. His arrival at Parliament House became our only opportunity to see him, but it was a very tough shot to get technically because you have to contend with the heavily tinted windows of a fast-moving car while standing behind bollards and parliamentary security. Q) What was your fluke of the week? A: After the final spill that ended Mr Turnbull's leadership and elected Scott Morrison as leader and Josh Frydenberg as deputy, the press pack was attempting to relocate from the party room to the ministerial corridor and I took a punt to go in a different direction. I could see camera flashes and a scrum in the distance and my heart sank, thinking I had missed something important. But Mr Frydenberg then emerged from the scrum and headed my way. Just as he was about to turn a corner, long-serving Parliament House cleaner Anna Jancevski was wheeling a trolley full of shredded documents towards him. They both stopped, embraced and she squeezed his cheeks in a loving way. It was one of those rare unguarded moments we seldom see in modern politics, where everything is so stage-managed. Here I had a cleaner squeezing the cheeks of the man who was going to be the Treasurer of Australia and there wasn't a media adviser to block or stop me. New deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg is congratulated by long-time Parliament House cleaner Anna Jancevski. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Josh Frydenberg and wife Amie swing daughter Gemma after the new Treasurer was sworn in at Government House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen


Members of the ministry put on Australian flag pins given to them by new Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Australian flag lapel pin handed to ministers by Prime Minister Scott Morrison for their swearing-in by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The new cabinet meets for the first time at Parliament House. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Q: How is Scott Morrison a different prime minister to photograph than others? A: Normally you can play on one aspect of someone's physical appearance or a mannerism. A silhouette of Barnaby Joyce or Tony Abbott is very distinguishable. Julia Gillard's red hair always stood out, so did Kevin Rudd's trademark flick of the hair. You know when Mr Abbott has spotted someone he wants to talk to because he will wink at them. But I haven't worked Mr Morrison out yet. I'm not sure there is a unique characteristic or mannerism we can capture. He could be the stock-standard image of a generic Australian man. But that could work for him - it's clearly how he is being positioned. Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrives to announce his new ministry, which rewarded supporters and punished some plotters. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Scott Morrison poses for a portrait at Parliament House the day after winning the Liberal leadership. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen