© Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Etsomnia™ is taking the week off. It will be back next week.
It’s the day before inauguration day, and I admit I’m sad, sad, sad. I know people have many varied opinions about President Obama, and, frankly, I am not interested in discussing that in this forum. My blog is not about politics, and this post is not political. It’s about a spectacularly-talented photographer spending 8 years with unfettered access to a world leader doing a tough job with humanity and grace and humor.
For the last two presidential terms, Pete Souza has been the official White House photographer. Souza estimates he took nearly 2 million photographs during the Obama presidency. More than 6,600 of them can be seen on the White House’s official Flickr account. Souza’s instinct for emotional images, his access to powerful moments in recent history, and his clear connection to this president have all resulted in some beautiful, heartbreaking, poignant photographs.
All images © Official White House Photos by Pete Souza.
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My OBT 
January 19, 2017 at 7:23 am
I will so miss this man.
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January 19, 2017 at 8:47 am
(Sigh)
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January 19, 2017 at 9:40 am
So in love with this family. And with you. ❤
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January 19, 2017 at 10:07 am
At least we’ve got each other!!! ❤❤❤
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January 19, 2017 at 9:59 am
Thanks so much for this, certainly one of the most beautiful things you’ve given us. I will come back to this post again and again in the days and years ahead. For now, tears in my eyes.
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January 19, 2017 at 10:08 am
Mine, too.
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January 19, 2017 at 1:09 pm
❤
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January 19, 2017 at 2:57 pm
What I have always loved about this documentary series of photographs is the lovely balance between formal and candid shots. While we are never in any doubt that the subjects of the photographs are on the job and, therefore, aware of the camera, there is still a core to each image that has a humanity to it, some insight into personality, relationships. They really are sterling images. I cannot help today but to compare these images to that terribly staged and stilted image of Trump “writing” his inauguration speech. These images also underscore one of the key successes to Obama as a President – while in no way whatsoever could he every be considered an Everyman, his often relaxed manner and way with people made him very accessible and to a degree relatable. I will miss Obama as the President and will miss them all as a wonderful First Family. And now I am away to hide under a blanket and cry.
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January 19, 2017 at 3:35 pm
Move over. I’m coming in.
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January 19, 2017 at 3:51 pm
Your country is losing a gentleman of true class, one of the finest leaders ever. My condolences.
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January 19, 2017 at 5:28 pm
Thank you.
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January 19, 2017 at 5:31 pm
I am sure you will miss him as President but now he belongs to the World and that can only be a good thing.
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January 19, 2017 at 5:35 pm
That’s a lovely way to look at it.
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January 24, 2017 at 2:45 pm
I’m going to cry )))) again)
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January 24, 2017 at 7:35 pm
I haven’t stopped yet.
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