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JFK Jr. Photographer: Secrets of Iconic Photos
29 Mar
Summary
- Photographer captured JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's unguarded joy in 1996.
- Images of the couple fetched high prices, exceeding Madonna's photos.
- Bessette reportedly spat at a photographer who got too close.
Photographer John Barrett reflects on capturing a treasured image of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in a moment of uninhibited joy at the Hilton Hotel in June 1996. Barrett, who began photographing Kennedy in the mid-1970s, found security lax and captured the couple unaware. Three months later, this image graced the New York Post's front page upon their secret wedding.
Barrett and fellow photographer Adam Scull recall the immense public demand for images of the couple, which made them highly lucrative subjects. Barrett sold his Hilton shot for $5,000, significantly more than Madonna's photos at the time. Scull noted Kennedy's demeanor shifted after his marriage to Bessette, becoming more
