Why good political photo-ops don't happen by accident

It takes weeks to plan them well.

Campaign organizers must select the perfect backdrop either a friendly crowd or a gorgeous landscape to drive home a message about their candidate or the party's message.

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They give advice, although not always welcome, about what the politician should wear, what they should do and then instruct the photographers and videographers where to stand.

Then they cross their fingers and hope the candidate doesn't drop the ball, put the hard hat on backwards or get kicked by the horse.

We all know a photo opp when we see it.

No matter how professional the campaign team, there's almost always something that tips off the viewer that what they're seeing didn't happen naturally.

And despite being a mainstay of election campaigns for decades, in an era where voters have access to a constant stream of images on their mobile devices, these contrived events have never been so crucial.

Watch the CBC's Alison Crawford explain just how important photo ops still are in the age of social media in the video above.