A Conversation with the King of Shade
Black Women Photographers Converse with Former Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza
By Bria Woods
When Pete Souza said he didn’t consider himself to be the best photographer, most of the nearly 200 people on the Zoom call had a similar reaction of shock and laughter.
How could the former Chief Official White House Photographer for Reagan and Obama say that with a straight face?
Courtesy of Nicki Mayo from our event with Pete Souza.
After listening to his story and thoughtful answers to our questions for two hours, I now understand that it’s this level of humility and unconceited honesty that afforded Souza the ability to document Reagan and Obama presidencies in a way that has already captivated the eyes of history.
Souza was born in the early 50s to a nurse and boat mechanic in Massachusetts. When commenting on his unspectacular upbringing, he said if anything he was probably “most likely to not succeed.”
He stumbled upon photography in college, and certainly did not have an affinity for politics. Which explains why Souza actually turned down the offer to join the White House photography staff when Regan was president. He, of course, changed his mind, and the rest is history.
Souza was sure to acknowledge the man who walked so he could run, Yoichi Okamoto, who was the Official Whtie House Photographer for Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President of the United States. Souza admired Okamoto’s intimate access to LBJ’s life that transcended his work as the president and dipped into some of the candid moments that the American public is typically not privy to.
With that blueprint in mind, Souza explained that he set out to find those humanizing moments that showed Regan both as a leader with monumental decisions to make and as a doting husband who cherished his wife Nancy.
While he admittedly didn’t agree with Regan’s politics, Souza also acknowledged that “you do have to have a certain level of respect for who that person is as a human.” As a photojournalist, Souza understood the importance of finding that balance of establishing trust and intimacy with the President, but also being objective about the stories told in the images he made.
Astounded by the kind of access Souza had to people, places, and things that could be of utmost national security, I asked Souza if he had to sign an NDA or had to be sworn to secrecy? “Once I received my security clearance, I didn’t have to sign an NDA. You swear to not divulge classified information.” This is called Executive Privilege, a law that says that anything the president discusses is considered executive privilege and is to be treated as confidential.
Souza explained that he had top clearance and spent more time with President Obama than First Lady Michelle. His routine started with arriving at the Oval Office every morning before Obama and tagging along with him all day, everyday, for eight years. His books, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” and “Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents'' illustrate what this unprecedented security clearance allowed Souza to capture.
The key to succeeding in the role, Souza shared, and even getting the role in the first place is to know the president on a personal level. Souza first met Barack Obama when he was a freshman Senator in 2004. He began laying the foundation of trust and respect brick by brick and when Obama was announced the 44th President of the United States he already had four years of experience to call upon.
“I didn’t call him Barack, you know, his friends called him Barack. But he did marry me and my wife. We were considered part of the family,” Souza reminisced.
Courtesy of Nicki Mayo from our event with Pete Souza.
That trust is evident in every frame that Souza made, both the moments that captured Obama tackling his very difficult job as the Commander in Chief and Obama as a father and husband.
Again, he understands that regardless of his personal connection with the President he has a responsibility as a journalist to be truthful and transparent. “I consider myself a historian with a camera,” Souza wisely stated.
As a young photojournalist myself, this resonated with me instantly. While I don’t have to deny who I am or the ideas that shape my life, I do have a duty to tell the whole truth about what’s in front of my lens.
In addition to having a sound ethos as a photographer, of course, we were quite curious as to what’s in Souza’s kit. He mentioned extra batteries, SD cards, and multiple lenses, but his most trusted tool: available light. “I’m an available light photographer, I use what light is available.”
Souza addressed his audience of mainly Black women photographers and acknowledged that yes, there is a need for more people of color, especially women in this profession. If you want to follow in his footsteps he recommends starting at the local level and photographing politicians and politics right where you live.
From there he advised us to be authentic and truthful with the photos we are presenting, don’t offend anybody, and keep it professional. Sage advice from someone who’s had a front-row seat to see and hear things I’m sure we can only begin to comprehend or imagine.
When asked what he wants his professional legacy to be, Souza replied, “That I set the bar really high to be a presidential photographer.” I think Okamoto would nod in approval.
