--- description: TIME contributor Diana Walker spent 20 years documenting Hillary Clinton's rise from First Lady to Senator, Presidential Candidate and, later, Secretary of State. She speaks to TIME LightBox about her experience title: See an Intimate Portrait of Hillary Clinton image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt27e3265fc6429ce5/6987692806f2c17919332470/timehillaryclinton05.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # An Intimate Portrait of Hillary Clinton in Photographs by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 23, 2014 8:00 AM CUT  Hillary checks her messages upon departure from Malta for the as-yet-undisclosed location, Tripoli, Oct. 18, 2011\. This photo was turned into a meme that circulated around the world. Hillary checks her messages upon departure from Malta for the as-yet-undisclosed location, Tripoli, Oct. 18, 2011\. This photo was turned into a meme that circulated around the world.Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 23, 2014 8:00 AM CUT Diana Walker’s skill documenting life behind the scenes in Washington D.C. stems directly from her dedication to subjects and her often subtle approach to photography. “I was trying to be as discreet as possible,” she tells TIME, speaking about stepping into the White House to work on her latest book _Hillary: The Photographs of Diana Walker,_ which saw her turn her lens towards Hillary Clinton. “I hardly ever spoke unless spoken to — I was not there for myself and I wanted them to ignore me,” she adds. “I used to rewind the film looking down and away from them so that I wouldn’t catch their eye or make them think they had to speak to me.” Walker worked as TIME’s White House photographer for 20 years, capturing five presidencies. In that time, she also documented luminaries such as Steve Jobs with the same intimacy she often portrayed in the oval office. Starting in 1993 within the White House’s walls, Walker documented Hillary as she moved from her roles as First Lady, Senator, Presidential Candidate and, later, Secretary of State. Texas students riot to protest the school's dress code as rules about students' outfits continue to be more distracting than the outfits themselves “To have the opportunity to photograph somebody for 20 years is such a gift to a photographer,” Walker says, “Hillary Clinton, it seems to me, means a lot to women today. I think that she represents the opportunities for women in our country.” Walker photographed Clinton for TIME up until October 2011, when she captured the now-iconic photograph of the Secretary of State putting on her shades to check her phone in the belly of a military C17 aircraft. The photograph later inspired the meme [_Texts from Hillary_](http://textsfromhillaryclinton.tumblr.com/ "undefined"). Is she responsible for Hillary becoming an online icon of cool? “I would love to have that reputation, ” Walker says, laughing. “I think we would all like to be cool at some stage in our lives.” **_Diana Walker_** _is a regular contributor to TIME and worked as TIME’s White House photographer for 20 years. You can see more work in her latest book_ [Hillary](http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hillary/Diana-Walker/9781476763378 "undefined") _and_ [The Bigger Picture: Thirty Years of Portraits](http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/books/photography/the-bigger-picture%3A-30-years-of-portraits "undefined")_._ **_Paul Moakley_** _is TIME’s Deputy Director of Photography._  With an ice cream cone in hand, Hillary waves to the crowd in Weedsport, New York, as she heads to the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in Auburn, New York, one of the stops on her Save America's Treasures tour, July 14, 1998. Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Getting ready for President Clinton's second inaugural, Hillary gets her first glimpse of daughter Chelsea's short skirt. Jan. 20, 1997 Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  The President and the First Lady Share a private moment, one of their last in the Oval Office. Jan. 11, 2001. Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Hillary checks her messages upon departure from Malta for the as-yet-undisclosed location, Tripoli, Oct. 18, 2011\. This photo was turned into a meme that circulated around the world. Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Before an appearance with David Letterman, Hillary checks her BlackBerry while Diana Walker takes their picture. Feb. 4, 2008. Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Hillary gathers her thoughts moments before her introduction at Nueva Esperanza Academy Charter High School in Philadelphia. Apr. 18, 2008. Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Hillary walks up the steps of the US Capitol to meet with Senate leaders. May 16, 2006. Diana Walker—Contour by Getty Images for TIME  Hillary enters a Super Bowl party at a bar and grill in St. Paul Minnesota, where she watches the New York Giants win the game, Feb. 3, 2008. 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