photo op

photo op

A shortening of "photo(graph) opportunity," literally, an ideal chance to take photographs, especially of someone famous. The actors all got together for a photo op with fans at the convention. The CEO agreed to a rare photo op for the press.
See also: OP, photo
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

photo op(portunity)

a time or event designed for taking pictures of a celebrity. All the photographers raced toward a photo op with the president.
See also: OP, photo
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

photo op

A chance for a photograph, often for publicity purposes. The “op” here is short for “opportunity.” Deborah Eisenberg used it in her story, “Under the 82nd Airborne”: “‘Relax,’ Lewis said. ‘There’s no one here for them to fight with—this is a photo op.’” See also sound bite.
See also: OP, photo
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • photo
  • set (someone or something) above (someone or something)
  • set above
  • put (someone or something) above (someone or something)
  • put above
  • place (someone or something) above (someone or something)
  • place above
  • prostie
  • prosties
  • photobomb
References in periodicals archive
As much can be gleaned from comments such as those by the leading Joe Biden campaign accusing Trump of "coddling" dictators "at the expense of America's national security." Another specimen reaction was that of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren who accused Trump of "squandering American influence on photo ops and exchanging love letters with a ruthless dictator." Another illustrative comment, if a softer one, came from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who said that he had "no problem" with Trump's meeting with Kim, but went on to say "we need to move forward diplomatically and not just have photo ops." Whether planned that way or not, even the G-20 2019 summit in Osaka, Japan was seemingly or virtually overshadowed by Trump's brief North Korean caper that came on its heels.
"Rupert will be signing and having his photo ops taken in a separate area and will be sign posted on all maps.
Merkel then appeared to ask the President if he wanted to shake hands, which is customary in photo ops, but Trump simply did not respond.
Campaign signs are going up, photo ops are increasing for the incompetent ruling clique!
Democratic State Representative Steve Farley, who proposed an unsuccessful ban on large-capacity gun magazines like the one used in the January mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that killed six people and wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others, said the gun club's photo op was inappropriate.
He beamed during a photo op with Paul Taylor dancers last spring at the Kennedy Center.
The director of the White House military office, Louis Caldera, yesterday apologised for the ill-judged photo op.
Decked out in the finest flyboy fashion, he proclaimed, "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended." Completing the brilliant photo op was a giant banner reading "Mission Accomplished."
Winner of the Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Award, Snap Shots: Photo Op Poems From An Everyday Life is an anthology of vibrant, free-verse poetry.
But at the end of a reporting day, when most newspaper editors need to make decisions about what the paper's political coverage is going to look like, these more candid pictures usually don't win out over the more elaborate, well-crafted photo op from a scheduled campaign stop where a speech was made or a major rally held.
Back in 2000, because of a very critical period in the gestation of Love, combined with her awareness of the approaching holidays, she missed an historic photo op, when all the living Nobel laureates were invited to Oslo to observe the 100th anniversary of the international prizes.
But curiously enough, since the president's May Day photo op aboard the Lincoln, dozens of American troops have been killed in Iraq, most of them in ambushes staged by surprisingly resilient irregular forces.
"But sometimes, the 5th is exactly what some committee members want, and they push a witness into that corner, because it makes for a terrific photo op. pleading the 5th before a committee.
The pilot in command didn't bother to brief for the impromptu photo op. Neither did he obtain permission from his command.
Roper had his first photo op as CEO during the company annual meeting earlier this month.