By Jayden Tran, 2026 CLA Intern
f/8 and be there. The idea is simple – you don’t need the perfect settings, the perfect composition, or even the perfect photograph. You just need to be there when the moment happens. As someone who’s spent years behind the camera capturing moments of authenticity, it’s a philosophy I’ve always aligned with. But after spending this summer with CAUSE, I think I finally understand what it truly means.
In my first few weeks at CAUSE, I viewed politics similarly to a camera. I intended to understand the frame: where I fit, what subjects I should focus on, and how I could make myself useful. However, the summer kept throwing me into situations where there wasn’t time to adjust the settings or dwell on details. I spoke to constituents, coordinated policy, and pitched ideas, figuring things out as I went. I lived in the moment, rather than being focused on capturing it.
I was there when Assemblymember Mark González’s office distributed over 1,500 air purifiers to the same constituents whose details I’d collected and organized after speaking to them on the phone. I was there when the Summer Soirée set-up required us to make last minute adjustments to our layout and I adjusted our bar’s installation. I was there when Matthew’s car broke down in the parking lot. And I was there when I decided to represent my group in the Mock Campaign, putting myself in front of the voters rather than simply observing politics from behind the scenes.
Reflecting on my time at CAUSE, I realize I spent a lot of the summer worrying about whether I was doing things the “right” way.” Was I asking the right questions? Saying the right thing? Taking away the right lessons? Even my campaign became an exercise to get everything right, from the politics I advocated for to the way I looked.
But, I recognize now that politics rarely gives you the luxury of perfect conditions. Constituents can’t wait for the perfect policy memo before they need help; organizations can’t wait for the perfect moment before they act; voters can’t wait for a perfectly rehearsed speech before they vote. You cannot demand perfection from the environment of politics; you can only do the best you can in the moment.
Some of the moments I’ll remember most from this summer are the ones I never could’ve planned, like learning how to play mahjong at a senior center during a game against Andrea and Rachel, last minute joining the cohort’s Big Bear trip despite plans to attend Hard Summer, or exploring Sacramento after hours. These probably wouldn’t make it into the highlight reel of my political experience with CAUSE or the final cut of what I took away from my experience. But these were moments I learned to be fully present amongst my peers, my team, and with the communities I hope to serve.
That’s what “f/8 and be there” means to me now. It doesn’t mean preparation doesn’t matter or that we shouldn’t strive to do political work well because people can’t wait. It does mean that, at some point, you have to stop worrying about whether you’ve found the perfect shot and just take the damn picture.
I’m grateful to CAUSE in its entirety for giving me the opportunity to do exactly that. I want to thank CAUSE staff for letting me photograph our events and meetings. I want to thank the CAUSE network for challenging me to think through unique, engaging frameworks. But most importantly, I want to thank my cohort for being there: to laugh at my bad jokes, to steal my one- liners, and to support me – no matter what.
I entered this summer with the intention to learn how politics works. I leave knowing that politics is less about finding the perfect frame, and more about showing up when people, communities, or systems need you. I don’t know what the next photo I take will look like; I don’t know what political rooms I’ll enter; I don’t know what campaigns I’ll join or what mistakes I might make along the way. But I know I’ll be there.
And in my opinion, that’s more than enough.
Calm before the storm in Big Bear…
Photographing at the 84th Annual Nisei Week Festival with the Assemblymember’s
team!
