Politics & Government

PHOTOS: One Photographer's 'Remarkable' Chance To Cover The President

Published October 26, 2016 at 3:47 PM CDT

1 of 12 — President Obama, Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer (left), Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (back left) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (back right) wait to enter the chamber to address the joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in 2009.

President Obama, Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer (left), Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (back left) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (back right) wait to enter the chamber to address the joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in 2009.

2 of 12 — "Visiting the Great Buddha of Kamakura, in Japan, the President had a green tea ice cream bar with his hosts. He had visited this Buddha as a young child and said he remembered sitting in the exact same place having an ice cream bar," Pete Souza wrote on The White House Flickr page for this image from Obama's 2010 Japan visit.

"Visiting the Great Buddha of Kamakura, in Japan, the President had a green tea ice cream bar with his hosts. He had visited this Buddha as a young child and said he remembered sitting in the exact same place having an ice cream bar," Pete Souza wrote on The White House Flickr page for this image from Obama's 2010 Japan visit.

3 of 12 — President Obama meets with a platoon on Dec. 3, 2010 at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan who had just lost six members, killed unsuspectedly by an Afghan who had worked alongside them.

President Obama meets with a platoon on Dec. 3, 2010 at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan who had just lost six members, killed unsuspectedly by an Afghan who had worked alongside them.

4 of 12 — President Obama reacts as Nicholas Tamarin, 3, greets him with Spider Man's web in October 2012. On The White House Flickr page, Souza said, "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."

President Obama reacts as Nicholas Tamarin, 3, greets him with Spider Man's web in October 2012. On The White House Flickr page, Souza said, "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."

5 of 12 — President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wave goodbye to President Shimon Peres of Israel following a dinner in his honor at the White House in June 2012.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wave goodbye to President Shimon Peres of Israel following a dinner in his honor at the White House in June 2012.

6 of 12 — President Obama and Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attend the September 11 Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va., on Sept. 11, 2014.

President Obama and Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attend the September 11 Observance Ceremony at the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va., on Sept. 11, 2014.

7 of 12 — President Obama and Vice President Biden participate in a "Let's Move!" video taping on the Colonnade of the White House in February 2014.

President Obama and Vice President Biden participate in a "Let's Move!" video taping on the Colonnade of the White House in February 2014.

8 of 12 — President Obama waves to people as he enters a restaurant in Havana, Cuba on Mar. 20, 2016. His trip to Cuba is the first time an American president had visited the island since 1928.

President Obama waves to people as he enters a restaurant in Havana, Cuba on Mar. 20, 2016. His trip to Cuba is the first time an American president had visited the island since 1928.

9 of 12 — President Obama stands with his daughter, Sasha, on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine in July 2010.

President Obama stands with his daughter, Sasha, on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine in July 2010.

10 of 12 — "As the President entered the House chamber to give his State of the Union address, I turned around to see his pathway to the podium. It reminded me of a scene from the movie The American President," Pete Souza wrote about this photo from Obama's 2010 State of the Union address on The White House Flickr page.

"As the President entered the House chamber to give his State of the Union address, I turned around to see his pathway to the podium. It reminded me of a scene from the movie The American President," Pete Souza wrote about this photo from Obama's 2010 State of the Union address on The White House Flickr page.

11 of 12 — "I had recently watched an old National Geographic documentary film on the White House and adapted the idea of shooting this angle from a scene in the film as the President and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico descended the Grand Staircase before a State Dinner at the White House," Pete Souza wrote about this image from May 2010 on The White House Flickr page.

"I had recently watched an old National Geographic documentary film on the White House and adapted the idea of shooting this angle from a scene in the film as the President and President Felipe Calderon of Mexico descended the Grand Staircase before a State Dinner at the White House," Pete Souza wrote about this image from May 2010 on The White House Flickr page.

12 of 12 — "After dinner, the fog had dissipated somewhat so [the Obama family] decided to make the drive up the mountain. It was quite clear when they arrived and then the fog started to roll back in. I managed to capture this silhouette as they viewed the statute one last time just before departure," Pete Souza wrote about this image from March 2011 on The White House Flickr page.

"After dinner, the fog had dissipated somewhat so [the Obama family] decided to make the drive up the mountain. It was quite clear when they arrived and then the fog started to roll back in. I managed to capture this silhouette as they viewed the statute one last time just before departure," Pete Souza wrote about this image from March 2011 on The White House Flickr page.

Pete Souza first got to know Barack Obama when he was a photojournalist at the Chicago Tribune, documenting the junior Illinois senator's first year in office.

Four years later, after leaving the newspaper to teach at Ohio University, Souza was asked to become the official White House photographer –- for the second time in his storied career.

When Souza took the job almost eight years ago, he says the Obama administration promised to grant him complete access to official activities.

"One thing I made clear before accepting was I said I need to have access to everything," he explained. That doesn't mean he gets unfettered access to the Obamas personal lives (that comes on a case-by-case basis). But, in terms of official business, Souza says "it's quite clear I'll be there for everything ... I'm in the room." He adds that the administration does not vet the photos he takes.

Souza estimates he has taken about 2 million images during this presidency, covering historic events like Obama's inaugurations and the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.

Or the day U.S. forces found Osama bin Laden. Souza was there in the situation room, photographing Obama and his team as they watched the events unfold.

"Obviously we didn't know how that was going to turn out," Souza says. "It could have ended badly. And so I think that results in the anxiety that you see in those faces that are watching the mission unfold."

Then there are the smaller moments, like dancing with 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin in the White House, or making faces with an Olympic gold medalist.

It's a grueling schedule and can be creatively challenging when faced with photographing the same people — sometimes in the same room — day after day.

"There's a certain daily grind to my job," Souza says, "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."

Interview Highlights

On releasing his photos to the public in real time

In previous administrations, some of these photographs you wouldn't see for 20, 30, 40 years. This administration decided, we want people to see these pictures now. For better or worse.

On how the Newtown elementary school shooting was a difficult moment

I've never seen his [Obama's] body language quite like that. It just took the wind out of his sail that day. I think he could just imagine what it would have been like to be a parent to send your kid off to school, to first grade, and you never see them again.

On his time in the White House

How the heck did I do this with not enough vacation time and not enough sleep? But more seriously. I think this administration will go down in history — he'll go down in history as a great president. And just to have been there, to watch this from up close with a camera, has just been a remarkable opportunity.

On plans after the end of this presidential term

I will have time after Jan. 20 to figure out what I am going to do. But right now, I've got a little less than 90 days to go, so I'm trying to give it my all the last three months.