The Photos That Moved Them Most: The Obama Administration
The Photos That Moved Them Most: The Obama Administration
2 minute read
Josh Earnest, Assistant to the President, Press Secretary 2014-Present:
“Pete went and took a photo of my son on Halloween dressed as Superman flexing his muscles with the President of the United States. It's a photo I look forward to showing to him when he's older and explaining to him what the heck happened.”Pete Souza—The White House
Large 20×30 prints, known as jumbos, line the walls of the West Wing and the cramped offices of the EEOB (the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House). Photography has played an important role in the White House for decades, but beginning with Obama’s administration, an unprecedented number in the thousands have been made available for public consumption.
In April 2009, the White House’s photo office released on Flickr 291 photos celebrating the President’s first 100 days. The idea was to be transparent and show what life behind the gates of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was like – from the President’s first morning meeting to his walk home along the Colonnade at night.
Since then, with the proliferation of social media, Pete Souza, the president’s chief photographer and leader of the White House photo team, has shared his photographs widely on Flickr, Instagram and Medium. Fueled by social media, these pictures have been passed and shared and many have become viral sensations now etched in our minds.
For the hard working staffers, who spend long hours at the White House in less than glamorous quarters, these pictures are a reminder of the historic nature of their work. Like a living yearbook, they are surrounded by the memories of the highs and lows – the drudgery and the inspirational, the mundane and the fun.
TIME asked eight White House staffers – from Josh Earnest to Valerie Jarrett – to name their favorite picture taken by Souza, the President’s ever-present shadow.
Macon Phillips, Special Assistant to the President and Director of Digital Strategy 2009-2013:
“This combination of preparation and humanity in this shot of Chief McDonough's binder sums up the unique culture of the Obama White House. After this photo was made into a "jumbo" and hung on the wall in the West Wing, we started seeing pictures and art on the front of other colleagues' binders: motivational reminders that the next generation was counting on our progress.” Pete Souza—The White HouseJosh Earnest, Assistant to the President, Press Secretary 2014-Present:
“Pete went and took a photo of my son on Halloween dressed as Superman flexing his muscles with the President of the United States. It's a photo I look forward to showing to him when he's older and explaining to him what the heck happened.” Pete Souza—The White HouseTommy Vietor, National Security Spokesman and Special Assistant to the President 2011-2013 ; Assistant Press Secretary 2009-2011 :
“For me, that one photo captures the historic nature of his presidency, what it means for young African American kids to have a President that looks like them, and Obama’s humility and core decency as a man.”
Yohannes Abraham, Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and Senior Advisor to the National Economic Council 2013-Present:
"I’m obviously not alone here, but the photo of the President bending down to let the little boy pat his head. I think that captures how a lot of us felt in those early days. In the brief moments when you weren’t buried in a work, you almost had to pause, pinch yourself, and ask if this thing that had so recently seemed so impossible was really real.”Pete Souza—The White HouseKatie McCormick Lelyveld, Press secretary, office of the First Lady 2009-2011:
“I remember one from the short flight from England to France where we were going for the highly anticipated first meeting with Carla Bruni Sarkozy for the first time. It was my first AF1 flight and the First Lady and I were just chatting prior to what would be one of our first crazy international experiences.” Pete Souza—The White HouseValerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor 2009-present:
"My favorite Souza photo is the photo of The President and First Family
walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with civil rights leaders and foot soldiers celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday."Pete Souza—The White HouseDan Pfeiffer, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor 2009-2015:
“Hard to pick, but I love the one of POTUS giving a fist bump to an African American custodian when he was walking through the EEOB [Eisenhower Executive Office Building].” Pete Souza—The White HouseBenjamin Rhodes, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting 2009-Present:
Selected this Souza photograph of the President playing with his daughter who is in a elephant costume.Pete Souza—The White House
