“President-elect Barack Obama was about to walk out to take the oath of office. Backstage at the U.S. Capitol, he took one last look at his appearance in the mirror.” (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
All photojournalists get a front row seat to history, but no position is more coveted among the cadre of visual historians than Official White House Photographer. A talented and also lucky man, Pete Souza has had the privilege twice, first during the Reagan administration and again during the Obama administration.
Souza’s access, on par with the President’s closest Secret Service detail, allowed him to bear witness to the highs and lows of a presidency that experienced so much change in such a short time. Indeed, while truly the position of a lifetime, the job is also extremely demanding. “There’s a certain daily grind to my job,” Souza told NPR in the interview below, “but I’d say, once, twice, three, four, 10 times a week, you realize that you are an eyewitness to history. And I always try to keep that forefront in my mind.”
From the moment U.S. forces raided the bin Laden compound to the 50th anniversary of Selma’s “Bloody Sunday,” the White House photographer documented many iconic moments during recent years. Souza says he took approximately two million photographs during his time documenting the Obama administration. As the 44th President winds down his time in office, RealClearLife has curated the White House Photographer’s best images, which provide viewers a backstage pass to many of this era’s historical events. See them all below.
“The Obama family was introduced to a prospective family dog at a secret greet on a Sunday. After spending about an hour with him, the family decided he was the one. Here, the dog ran alongside the President in an East Wing hallway. The dog returned to his trainer while the Obama’s embarked on their first international trip. I had to keep these photos secret until a few weeks later, when the dog was brought ‘home’ to the White House and introduced to the world as Bo.”
(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
The White House
“This photo was taken about 4AM after the President made an unannounced trip to Dover Air Force Base to pay respects to fallen troops coming back from Afghanistan. After meeting privately with the families, the President walked alone up the ramp of the cargo plane carrying the 18 caskets, all draped in American flags. I could see the emotion on his face as he walked from casket to casket, leaving a Presidential coin on each. When he was done, he paused for a few minutes, head bowed in prayer. I heard him tell others later how that was the most difficult moment of his Presidency thus far. Out of respect for the families, not all of who wanted their ceremony photographed, we can’t show those pictures, but they will become part of Presidential archive.” (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
The White House
“We were on a freight elevator headed to one of the Inaugural Balls. It was quite chilly, so the President removed his tuxedo jacket and put it over the shoulders of his wife. Then they had a semi-private moment as staff member and Secret Service agents tried not to look.” (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
“The President jockeys for a rebound with Congressmen during a basketball game at the White House. I think opponents are always surprised at how tough and competitive he can be.”
(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
(Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
“Before a prayer breakfast, the President met privately with clergy members in the Blue Room at the White House. At the conclusion of the meeting, a final prayer was delivered as they held each other’s shoulders.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“We were walking through a locker room at the University of Texas when White House Trip Director Marvin Nicholson stopped to weigh himself on a scale. Unbeknownst to him, the President was stepping on the back of the scale, as Marvin continued to slide the scale lever. Everyone but Marvin was in on the joke.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
First Lady Michelle Obama meets with former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa at Mandela’s home in Houghton, South Africa, June 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The President delivers remarks in the pouring rain at a campaign event in Glen Allen, Va. He was supposed to do a series of press interviews inside before his speech, but since people had been waiting for hours in the rain he did his remarks as soon as he arrived at the site so people could go home to dry off .” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“We had just arrived at the helicopter landing zone in Chicago and instead of walking right to the motorcade, the President and First Lady walked past their vehicle to the edge of Lake Michigan to view the skyline of their home town.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The President pretends to be caught in Spider-Man’s web as he greets Nicholas Tamarin, 3, just outside the Oval Office. Spider-Man had been trick-or-treating for an early Halloween with his father, White House aide Nate Tamarin in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. I can never commit to calling any picture my favorite, but the President told me that this was HIS favorite picture of the year when he saw it hanging in the West Wing a couple of weeks later.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“We were doing an event at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. Before speaking, the President was looking at some of the automobiles and exhibits adjacent to the event, and before I knew what was happening he walked onto the famed Rosa Parks bus. He sat in one of the seats, looking out the window for only a few seconds.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“We were backstage at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill for the President’s appearance on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.’ The President let out a big laugh as he was being briefed by the producers and Mr. Fallon on the ‘Slow Jam the News’ segment.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia, tour the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 20, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The President is reflected in a glass table top during a meeting in the Oval Office.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“A quiet moment inside Nelson Mandela’s former prison cell as the President embraced Sasha while the Obama family was listening to Ahmed Kathrada recount his years spent imprisoned here on Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, initially in this prison cell. Kathrada was imprisoned at Robben Island for 18 years.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“South Africans cheer as President Obama waits in a tunnel at the soccer stadium before taking the stage to speak at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. It was a long overnight flight to Johannesburg, a few hours on the ground in the pouring rain, and then a long flight back to Washington.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The President talks with House Speaker John Boehner after the President participated in a Q&A with the House Republican Conference at the U.S. Capitol.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The two coaches for Sasha Obama’s basketball team couldn’t make it to one of her games, so the President and his then personal aide, Reggie Love, filled in as coaches for this game one Saturday. Here they along with Sasha’s teammates react during the game.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The President reacts as John Brennan briefs him on the details of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The President later said during a TV interview that this was the worst day of his Presidency.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)(Official White House Photo)
“Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes needed some assistance with his wardrobe so the President joined Brian Mosteller, Director of Oval Office Operations, and Personal Aide Ferial Govashiri in helping to spruce him up.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“Four Presidents. One funny story. Presidents Carter, Clinton, Obama and Bush wait backstage to be introduced during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“We were at the G7 Summit in Krün, Germany. Chancellor Angela Merkel asked the leaders and outreach guests to make their way to a bench for a group photograph. The President happened to sit down first, followed closely by the Chancellor. I only had time to make a couple of frames before the background was cluttered with other people.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The First Lady snuggled against the President during a video taping for the 2015 World Expo in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House.” (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
“David Lienemann scoped out a great vantage point from the Blue Room Balcony to capture this moment as the President and First Lady escorted Pope Francis back inside the White House following the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn.” (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet 106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin during a photo line in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month, Feb. 18, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the First Family are joined by former President George W. Bush, former First Lady Laura Bush, Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., former foot soldiers and other dignitaries in marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches, at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., March 7, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
“The President’s wave aligns with a rainbow as he boards Air Force One at Norman Manley International Airport prior to departure from Kingston, Jamaica.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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