From the Publisher

By Elizabeth P. Valk

Great ideas are often generated in the most unlikely places, or so claims photographer P.F. Bentley, whose latest brainstorm occurred while he was having dinner at a sushi bar in Nashua, N.H. Bentley was part of the press corps covering the state's first-in-the-nation primary, and he was trying to devise a more personal approach to the campaign. Then it hit him: Why not portray a run for the presidency from the inside looking out? A few days later, P.F. told associate picture editor Rick Boeth that he'd like to hook up with the Clinton campaign, a risky choice because the Arkansas Governor's candidacy was in deep trouble at the time and his aides were naturally suspicious of becoming involved with the press. "P.F. used all his considerable finesse and diplomatic skills to convince everyone in the campaign that he could be a part of their lives," recalls Boeth.

That hunch led to the special series of photos that appear in this week's issue. Initially, Bentley and Clinton agreed to a one-month trial run, but the candidate felt sufficiently comfortable with the arrangement to continue it indefinitely. "We both understood that he would have to instantly trust me," says Bentley. Campaign advisers were told to get used to the photographer's presence in meetings, and Hillary Clinton welcomed him to the family home in Little Rock. The first photos, published in late March, ended with a Clinton win in Illinois. Since then, Bentley has been privy to the Clinton campaign's controversies, days of triumph and stolen moments of calm. His photos capture the gritty reality of rumpled hotel rooms, late-night strategy sessions and quick dinners of cold pizza, all shot in black-and-white to emphasize the documentary nature of the project.

P.F., 39, lives in Stinson Beach, Calif., grew up in Honolulu and has been a TIME photographer for 13 years. His TIME campaign coverage won first place in the Pictures of the Year Competition in both 1984 and 1988. In addition to his U.S. political coverage, Bentley has shot assignments in Panama, El Salvador and Haiti.

"Clinton often acts as if I am not in the room at all, and we can go a couple of days without speaking to each other," observes Bentley. "I've found him to be the most casual politician I have ever worked with." So casual, in fact, that P.F. actually followed Clinton into the steam room of his New York City hotel last week. The intrepid photographer could take only two exposures at a time before the cameras fogged up and had to be cleaned -- but eventually got the shot he wanted.