KIEV, UKRAINE — And my string of bad luck on these trips continues. During the president's trip to Africa, my camera just up and stopped working after giving me two productive years and thousands of photos.

Later on that trip I also ran through a glass window in Liberia.

Tonight, when we arrived here after a nine-hour flight on Air Force One, I rushed out to the tarmac along with the other members of the small press contingent that travels with the president. As we got closer to the front of the plane, I pulled out my brand new camera, a nice Sony Cybershot DSC-H3.

Right as I pulled the camera out, a man in front of me with a large backpack swung around, and his pack knocked my camera out of my hands and to the ground. I checked it a few moments later to see if it was possibly still working. No luck. Kaput.

I did manage, however, to snap this shot of the president and first lady this morning as they boarded Air Force One just before departing for this trip.

— Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times