Although it has long been a fixture in US politics, Mr Abbott broke new ground when he employed a former press gallery cameraman to his staff after the election, a move that frustrated television crews who found themselves forced to rely on footage provided by Mr Abbott's press office. It was not uncommon for the weekend television news to have only Mr Abbott's weekly video message, recorded by his staff and distributed on a Sunday, to use in bulletins. Mike Baird and his wife Kerryn in the shot arranged by Tony Story. Credit:Twitter The videos were also distributed on social media, but it is often still photography that resonates best on the medium. NSW Premier Mike Baird, mimicking US President Barack Obama, posted a beautiful black-and-white picture of himself with his wife, Kerryn, on social media on the night of his election win last month.

What looked like an impromptu, private moment away from the hubbub of the victory party was actually arranged by his digital media specialist, Tony Story, and came with a carefully crafted message: "Thank you NSW. I love this state. We will work for you, every day, for the next 4 years." Previously, media photographers were relied upon to take the pictures, which would then be selected by editors and placed in newspapers according to what a range of people judged to be the best image to illustrate a story. Now, politicians can readily bypass that filter. Andrew Meares, Fairfax Media's chief photographer in Canberra and a press gallery veteran of nearly 20 years, was assigned to photograph Mr Baird on election night but was denied access. He said the picture issued via Twitter had all the hallmarks of a John F. Kennedy Life magazine photo shoot.

"It is a staged moment posed to look like a captured private moment. The image was deliberately made black and white. The JFK 'Camelot' era is immortalised in black-and-white candid family moments. The use of this filter seeks to give the image more authenticity." Meares also noted the rise of social media "allows politicians to directly interact with the audience with the proven power of a photo". Mr Hunter has previously travelled with Mr Abbott and enjoyed exclusive photographic access during the 2013 election campaign. Sean Kelly, a press secretary to former Labor prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, said hiring a personal photographer to document Ms Gillard's time in office was discussed. "It's not practical to have a photographer from the press in the Prime Minister's Office at all times and there are always charming, emotional, beautiful experiences which only tend to occur behind closed doors," Mr Kelly said.

The appointment was never made after staff decided it would have been seen as "narcissistic" and inappropriate at a time when the Labor government was facing a looming budget deficit. The British Prime Minister, David Cameron, was roundly criticised for having a personal photographer and filmmaker when he was elected in 2010. Mr Cameron solved the problem by moving the staff off the public payroll and on to that of the Conservative Party. Mr Kelly said the image a press photographer wants will be different from the one a politician wants. "It's one thing to go down the United States president path," Mr Kelly said. "But you have to ask yourself where it ends." Mr Abbott's office was contacted for comment but did not respond.