Seeing Barack Obama Through the Viewfinder

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

In the months since he left the White House, chief photographer Pete Souza’s photos and subtle trolling on his Instagram and Twitter pages has earned him millions of followers.  His images of former President Barack Obama taken over the years, posted in contrast to President Trump, draw thinly veiled comparisons to their differences in style.

And Souza has plenty of images to chose from. When he was offered the job as chief White House photographer, he accepted, and convinced Obama and the White House to give him unprecedented access.  

“It was not totally given to me," said Souza.  "I had to earn his trust and I had to push for access to make sure I was able to create this photographic archive.”

Part of that photographic archive can be seen in Souza’s new book “Obama: An Intimate Portrait."  But it’s just a glimpse of the nearly two million photos that Souza took over eight years, an average of more than 600 photographs a day, which for anyone — even a White House photographer — can be a challenge.

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear the full conversation with Souza, and check out some photos from his Instagram account below.

From 2011: President and Mrs. Obama in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery. Section 60 is the area of the cemetery that holds the remains of troops who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Oct 18, 2017 at 6:39am PDT

One year ago today: the annual White House Tribal Nations conference in Washington, DC.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Sep 26, 2017 at 5:08am PDT

Seven years ago today: closeup of President Obama as he reads a document during a staff meeting in the Oval Office.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Sep 27, 2017 at 9:36am PDT

Man's best friend. This was actually the first day that the family met Bo.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 13, 2017 at 5:52am PST

Hug someone you love today.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 14, 2017 at 3:32am PST

President Obama at the Coast Guard Academy in 2015: "That’s why confronting climate change is now a key pillar of American global leadership. When I meet with leaders around the world, it’s often at the top of our agenda -- a core element of our diplomacy. And you are part of the first generation of officers to begin your service in a world where the effects of climate change are so clearly upon us. It will shape how every one of our services plan, operate, train, equip, and protect their infrastructure, their capabilities, today and for the long term."

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on May 17, 2017 at 11:52am PDT

Going way back to 2006 when Senator Obama was visiting Africa with his family. Happy Birthday Sasha!

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Jun 10, 2017 at 1:40pm PDT

"Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome." - Rosa Parks

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Aug 14, 2017 at 6:07am PDT

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Aug 13, 2017 at 1:31pm PDT

Camp David, 2012.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Aug 25, 2017 at 8:25am PDT

On #womensequalityday a flashback to our visit to Women's Rights National Historical Park in 2013.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Aug 26, 2017 at 1:33pm PDT

President Obama with a victim of Hurricane Sandy. There are no Democrats or Republicans hurting in Houston; there are just Americans. At a time like this, it shouldn't be about selling baseball hats or commenting on crowd size. It's about helping our fellow human beings. Pets too. This storm is catastrophic, not epic. Thousands of people are affected. Please consider donating to the many charities doing good work in Texas and other states to come. I am donating to the Red Cross and other local charities today but please feel free to comment on other worthy charities that you would recommend to me and others. (UPDATE: As one of your fellow followers points out, The NY Times has a good list of how to help victims and avoid scams. I posted the link in my profile. But keep suggesting others.)

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Aug 30, 2017 at 6:17am PDT

TBT: Five years ago today. Waiting to be announced at an event in New Hampshire.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Sep 7, 2017 at 6:14pm PDT

2016. For the young photographers out there: yes the silhouette is somewhat cliche. But used sparingly, it can often yield a good photograph. In this case, I positioned myself so the afternoon sun was directly behind the President's head and the purposely underexposed my settings. 99% of time I am setting my shutter speed and aperture manually. In this case, I used a shutter speed of 1/2000 and f/stop at f/8 at ISO 100.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 9, 2017 at 8:39am PST

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.