Obama's White House, by official photographer Pete Souza - in pictures (original) (raw)
15 March 2009
Bo the dog makes his first visit to the White House, running down the East Colonnade with President Barack Obama. Bo became the family’s pet the following month.
20 March 2009
Barack Obama hugs his wife Michelle in the Red Room while senior advisor Valerie Jarrett looks on
5 April 2009
The first lady waits as the president signs the guestbook at Prague Castle in the Czech Republic
15 October 2009
Students hold out their hands to greet Obama during his visit to Dr Martin Luther King Jr charter school in New Orleans, Louisiana
28 April
2010‘Sometimes the unexpected happens. At a cafe in Missouri, I was trying to capture patrons snapping photos of each other with the President when this guy did what wise-guys do.’Pete Souza
4 July 2010
The president and first lady watch the fireworks over the Mall from the roof of the White House
8 August 2010
Obama sits on the south lawn of the White House with his daughter Sasha during a barbecue with family and friends for his 49th birthday
20 March 2011
‘Despite security concerns, the president decided to walk into the street to wave to people gathered outside the Cidade de Deus favela community centre in Rio de Janeiro. As he was walking, a young boy reached out of a closed door and the president reached over to give him a fist bump.’Pete Souza
1 May, 2011
The Situation Room. ‘Much has been made of this photograph that shows the president and vice president and the national security team monitoring in real time the mission against Osama bin Laden. The president chose to sit next to Brigadier General Marshall B “Brad” Webb, assistant commanding general of Joint Special Operations Command, who was point man for the communications taking place. With so few chairs, others just stood at the back of the room. I was jammed into a corner of the room with no room to move.’Pete Souza
25 October 2011
The president jokes around backstage with TV presenter Jay Leno before recording The Tonight Show in Burbank, California
16 May 2012
The Obamas greet the family of Leslie H Sabo Jr outside the Oval Office before a Medal of Honour ceremony. Sabo was nominated for the medal shortly after his death, but the records were lost. Sabo’s widow finally received the medal from Obama 42 years later
19 May 2012
Obama chats with the Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev on the Laurel Cabin patio during the G8 summit at Camp David, Maryland
4 September 2012
Obama and his daughters Malia, left, and Sasha, right, watch the first lady’s speech to the Democratic National Convention
26 October 2012
The president pretends to be caught in SpiderMan’s web when Nicholas Tamarin, 3, catches him outside the Oval Office. Nicholas had been trick-or-treating with his father, White House aide Nate Tamarin in the Eisenhower executive office building.‘I can never commit to calling any picture my favourite, but the president told me that this was his favourite picture of the year when he saw it hanging in the West Wing a couple of weeks later.’
20 March 2013
Bo waits for Michelle Obama on the south lawn before they both head to the Walter Reed national military medical center in Bethesda, Maryland
25 April 2013
The Obamas talk with former presidents and first ladies before a lunch at the George W Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Pictured, from left, are: Barbara and George Bush, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton talks to Michelle Obama and President Obama chats with Bill Clinton and George W Bush
14 June 2013
The president holds six-month-old Talia Neufeld, daughter of departing staff member Adam Neufeld, in the Oval Office
30 June 2013
The Obamas stand in the cell where Nelson Mandela was held as they listen to former prisoner Ahmed Kathrada during their tour of Robben Island prison in Cape Town, South Africa
11 February 2014
The president helps the first lady off the stage during a state dinner for French president François Hollande on the south lawn of the White House
6 June 2014
‘This isn’t so much a great photograph as it was just an honour to be in the presence of World War II veteran Kenneth (Rock) Merritt as he regaled stories of D-Day to Obama aboard Marine One on the 70th French-American commemoration D-Day ceremony. The president invited ‘Rock’ to fly on the helicopter after leaving the Normandy American cemetery and memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France.’
5 September 2014
‘We were at the Nato summit in Wales when someone mentioned to the president that Stonehenge wasn’t that far away. ‘Let’s go,’ he said. So when the summit ended, we took a slight detour on the way back to Air Force One.’
29 April 2015
‘An amusing moment as the president made a last-minute plea with house minority leader Nancy Pelosi following their meeting at the White House.’
17 July 2015
‘While visiting the Whitney Museum in New York City, the president hugged his daughter Malia as they looked at the artwork.’
11 October 2015
‘The president was playing golf at Torrey Pines golf course in San Diego. As he was finishing his round, he began to shake hands with guests waiting for a wedding ceremony about to begin. The bride and groom were waiting inside but when they looked out the window and saw the president, they decided to make their way outside. I made a grab shot as the bride, Stephanie, and her soon-to-be husband, Brian Tobe, came running to greet the president.’ The couple wrote to Souza to say that they were extremely grateful to have the president crash their wedding
4 December 2015
The president has a selfie with 11-year-old Jacob Haynes and 4-year-old James Haynes after taking a family photograph with departing White House staffer Heather Foster
18 February 2016
Michelle Obama dances with 106-year-old Virginia McLaurin in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History month
22 March 2016
The president and national security advisor Susan E Rice talk on the phone with homeland security advisor Lisa Monaco to receive an update on a terrorist attack in Brussels, Belgium. The president made the call from the residence of the US chief of mission in Havana, Cuba
22 April 2016
Barack Obama talks with the Duke of Cambridge at Kensington Palace in London, while the Duchess of Cambridge plays with Prince George and the first lady talks to Prince Harry
4 May 2016
Obama hugs Mari Copeny, 8, backstage at Northwestern high school in Flint, Michigan. Mari wrote a letter to the president about the Flint water crisis
24 December 2016
Michelle Obama on the phone to children as part of the annual Norad Tracks Santa programme. She answered the phonecalls from Kailua, Hawaii on Christmas Eve