Style Weekly photojournalist Scott Elmquist chooses some of his favorite images from a busy year.
July 4: State Sen. Amanda Chase, GOP hopeful for Virginia governor, was a
featured speaker at a 2nd Amendment Rally, Virginia State Capitol.
Photographer’s note: When I saw Sen. Chase step out of the black SUV and strap on an assault rifle, I knew I was witnessing an event unlike any other in my 30 years as a photographer. Surrounded by militia also carrying assault rifles, she walked to the Bank Street entrance of the Capitol and started addressing the crowd. The scene was surreal. A candidate for governor stood before the press in a public space calling for gun rights in a state where 1,000 Virginians die from gun violence every year. A state that carries the legacy of the massacres at Virginia Tech and more recently, Virginia Beach.