Obama: An Intimate Portrait - The Historic Presidency in Photographs

The definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's presidency, captured in intimate, unprecedented detail by the official White House photographer.

Pete Souza began photographing President Obama on his first day as a U.S. senator, in January 2005, and served as the chief official White House photographer for the President's full two terms. Souza was with President Obama more often, and at more crucial moments, than any friend or staff member, or even the First Lady--and he photographed it all. Souza captured nearly 2 million photographs of Obama, in moments ranging from classified to disarmingly candid.

This large-format, exquisitely produced book presents more than 300 of Souza's favorite and most iconic images from these historic years; many have never been seen before. This seminal work on the Obama presidency documents moments of national importance--including the historic image of the President and his advisors watching tensely in the Situation Room as the Bin Laden mission unfolded--alongside unguarded moments with the President's family, his many encounters with children, and his time spent interacting with world leaders, members of Congress, White House staff, artists, musicians and more.

The photographs are paired with captions and stories providing behind-the-scenes context for each, and offer insight into the special relationship Souza and the President forged during their time together. The result is a stunning record of a landmark era in American history.

Souza's work enabled us to feel that we knew the President. This book puts us in the White House with him.

Published on: 2017-11-07

Released on: 2017-11-07

Original language: English

Binding: Hardcover

304 pages

About the Author 

Pete Souza was the Official Chief White House Photographer for President Obama and the Director of the White House Photo Office. Previously Souza was an Assistant Professor of Photojournalism at Ohio University, the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune, a freelancer for National Geographic, and an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan. His books include the New York Times bestseller The Rise of Barack Obama, which documents the president's meteoric ascent from his first day in the U.S. Senate through the 2008 Pennsylvania presidential primary. Souza is currently a freelance photographer based in Washington, D.C. and is a Professor Emeritus at Ohio University.