American photojournalist and former official White House photographer Pete Souza took visitors at the ongoing 8th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival on an unforgettable journey through history during his talk Documenting for History.
The session offered an in-depth look at Souza’s illustrious career and the impact of visual storytelling in shaping our understanding of key historical events.
From humble beginnings working for local Kansas newspapers to serving as the official photographer for US presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, Souza had a ringside view of historic, era-defining moments and the figures in them. His presentation offered many behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of two iconic presidents, from moments of triumph to scenes of profound emotion.
About being hired for his second term as White House photographer, Souza recalled, “I got a call about two weeks before President Obama’s inauguration… I felt that I was the right person to do it. I had known him for four years and had the previous experience with President Reagan. I consider myself a seasoned photojournalist. I asked for unfettered access and the pictures I made would not have been possible without that.”
One of the highlights of the talk was Souza's discussion of his experience covering significant historic events, including the 9/11 attacks and the raid that led to the capture of Osama bin Laden. “I was always on the lookout for these little moments, just trying to capture humanity,” Souza remarked, highlighting the importance of capturing the human element in his photographs.
Souza also showcased some of his more unusual and more unseen works, such as a photo of Michael Jackson being a bystander during an argument between Ronald and Nancy Reagan; the photo of a child on his father’s shoulder at the border of Macedonia during the Kosovo refugee crisis; searing photos of the post 9/11 war in Afghanistan; Obama as president walking on the streets of Moscow unrecognised, while being mobbed in Kenya in another shot; various shots of Obama in moments of sadness, stress and grief, including the time he was informed about the Sandy Hook school shooting in which several children were killed. “When you’re a photojournalist, these are the kind of subjects that you hope you're gonna have,” Souza pointed out. “I was always on the lookout for just these little moments trying to capture its humanity.”
Souza is also the man behind several, more famous shots – including that of Princess Diana dancing with John Travolta in 1985; and the ‘Situation Room’ photo showing Obama and his national security team – including then Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – receiving live updates during the operation that led to the killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. “The most remarkable thing about this photo is that you've got the most powerful people in the executive branch of our government all jammed into this room together. And at this moment, they were powerless; it was entirely up to the special forces guys on the ground.”
Obama’s role as the first African-American US president also informed a big part of the thinking behind Souza’s photography, resulting in iconic images such as the one of a young black child, Jacob Philadelphia, touching Obama’s head; and Obama sitting on the same bus that Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks first protested in.
“Photography has the ability to not only show our understanding of the world but to shape it," Souza concluded.
