Pete Souza: Two Presidents, One Photographer

White House photographs by Pete Souza

The iconic photographs of Pete Souza are well known from his tenure as Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama. What most people don’t remember is that Souza, who was trained as a photojournalist, was also an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan. Souza was in his late 20’s, at the beginning of his career, when he joined the Reagan White House in 1983. More than 30 years later, Souza returned to the White House to join the Obama administration.


​“Both of these Presidents were decent human beings. Take it from someone who spent thousands of hours observing them in public and private” 
​-Pete Souza
​
 
 “What makes Pete such an extraordinary photographer, I think, is something more than his ability to frame an interesting moment. It’s his capacity to capture the mood, the atmosphere and the meaning of that moment.”
-Former President Barack Obama from his foreword to Obama: An Intimate Portrait

“Pete Souza made the most of his special vantage point, recording some of the most intimate, honest and humanizing scenes of the presidency I’ve ever seen.”
-Former Sen. Howard H. Baker, Jr. from his foreword to Unguarded Moments: Behind-the-Scenes Photographs of President Ronald Reagan

Two Presidents, One Photographer showcases 56 of Pete Souza’s photographs of two presidents from opposite ends of the political spectrum. This exhibit includes Souza’s favorite images of Presidents Obama and Reagan, providing us with candid moments that are windows into their humanity. What we see in Souza’s photographs are two Presidents who clearly respected the office they held, and genuinely respected the people they interacted with, no matter the circumstance.

Pete Souza is a freelance photographer in the Washington, D.C. area and Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication at Ohio University. Souza was the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and the Director of the White House photo office.  His new book, "Obama: An Intimate Portrait," was published by Little, Brown & Company on November 7, 2017, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Mr. Souza is available for talks and book signings, please inquire about fees and availability.
Signed limited edition prints are available for sale at museum gift shops.
Number of Photographs: 56
​Rental fee: $6,800 for 8 weeks

Pete Souza's website

Souza has also garnered attention for his personal Instagram feed (@petesouza), in which he often posts an Obama photograph from his archives to contrast with the political news of the day.