By Alex Thorne

pete-souza

Pete Souza and President Obama

Tonight’s National Geographic on PBS will be chronicling the daily life of Pete Souza, President Obama’s official photographer.  This should be a fascinating look at one of the most elite photography assignments in the industry.

But, as today’s Washington Post review of “The President’s Photographer” points out, this assignment has one of the most grueling schedules imaginable.  Up at dawn, shoot all day, and an endless stream of grip-and-grins to feed the White House’s PR machine.

Souza’s resume is impressive.  Some of the highlights also include being an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, and a New York Times bestseller titled, “The Rise of Barack Obama.”

Here’s more from The Washington Post’s review of the program:

“The President’s Photographer” follows Souza following Obama last winter, as the health-care reform effort begins to quiver under the weight of compromise. Contrasted with Souza’s earlier stills from Obama’s 2008 victory, the shots have suddenly become more grim. A White House photographer’s daily output must capture the full spectrum of a public face that is often starkly contrasted with the private mood.

Perhaps only Bo the Dog and personal aide Reggie Love have better access to Obama than Souza, who is a constant presence with a couple of cameras slung over his droopy shoulders. Both Bo and Love figure prominently in some of the memorable shots Souza has taken so far; the president, we learn, is particularly enamored of a photograph of himself blocking Love’s shot on the basketball court.

Read more–>>

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