President Obama’s Official Photographer Selects His Best July 4th Photos
President Obama’s Official Photographer Selects His Best July 4th Photos
2 minute read
July 4, 2009
Pete Souza:“President and Mrs. Obama were watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the roof of the White House. What a great vantage point to not only see the fireworks, but also watch the Foo Fighters who were performing on the South Lawn. I made this photograph standing on my tiptoes, using a telephoto lens hand-held with a slow shutter speed.”
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama watch the fireworks display from the roof of the White House on July 4, 2009.Pete Souza—The White House
For Pete Souza, President Obama’s chief official photographer, the Fourth of July is pretty much like any other day: “Stay close to the President and see what happens,” as Souza describes it to TIME. Each year, as the nation celebrates Independence Day, the President and First Lady host military heroes and their families on the South Lawn of the White House. An afternoon barbeque is followed by a concert and the traditional Fourth of July firework display.
And while Souza, who’s been following Obama since 2004—first while working for the Chicago Tribune and then while at the White House—claims that Independence Day is just like any other day, he admits that it’s also the day he’s able to dress “very casual.” It’s also an opportunity for the photographer to capture the Obamas in an atmosphere that focuses on family and fireworks.
As Obama prepares to celebrate his last Independence Day as Commander-in-Chief, TIME asked Souza to select his favorite photographs from the last seven celebrations. “I was trying to show some variety in the types of images I make every year,” he says of his selection. “There’s the fireworks for sure, but also the President often greets military families on the South Lawn who have come to listen to music and watch the fireworks.”
For this year’s celebrations, Souza hopes to “make a picture that I haven’t made before,” he tells TIME. “That’s really my daily goal. It’s special only in the sense that I know this is the last time I’ll ever be on the roof of the White House during the fireworks.”
Olivier Laurent is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @olivierclaurent
July 4, 2009
Pete Souza:“President and Mrs. Obama were watching the Fourth of July fireworks from the roof of the White House. What a great vantage point to not only see the fireworks, but also watch the Foo Fighters who were performing on the South Lawn. I made this photograph standing on my tiptoes, using a telephoto lens hand-held with a slow shutter speed.”
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama watch the fireworks display from the roof of the White House on July 4, 2009.Pete Souza—The White HouseJuly 4, 2010
Pete Souza:“Every year, we have a different band, or sometimes two bands, perform for military families and White House staff. It’s actually the United Service Organizations that sponsors it. Even though it’s on our turf, the USO and most bands never wanted me to be on the stage. But this year, I happened to know Brandi Carlile and her manager, so asked them if I could be onstage during their performance to line up the White House in the background.”
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a Fourth of July celebration with military personnel and their families on the South Lawn of the White House, July 4, 2010.Pete Souza—The White HouseJuly 4, 2011
Pete Souza:“I was lucky to make this frame of a young girl saluting President Obama as he shook hands along a rope line with members of the military and their families before the fireworks.”
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcome military families attending the Fourth of July celebration on the South Lawn of the White House, July 4, 2011. Pete Souza—The White HouseJuly 4, 2012
Pete Souza:“There seemed to be more babies than usual amongst the military families so I made a quad of four different babies that the President played with for awhile.”
Composite of photos of President Barack Obama holding a baby as he and First Lady Michelle Obama greet military personnel and their families during an Independence Day celebration on the South Lawn of the White House, July 4, 2012.Pete Souza—The White HouseJuly 4, 2013
Pete Souza:“Although I almost never have a tripod with me, I sometimes set up a tripod to capture the beginning of the fireworks. The band is supposed to be done with their music when the fireworks start, but this year they were still playing their last song and some of the lights from the stage were still illuminating the crowd on the South Lawn.”President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama watch fireworks from the roof of the White House during a Fourth of July celebration for military families and White House Staff on the South Lawn, July 4, 2013. Pete Souza—The White HouseJuly 4, 2014
Pete Souza:“This is the view of some family and friends on the roof of the White House during the fireworks. Another telephoto shot with a slow shutter speed and wide open aperture.”Family and friends of the Obama family watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the roof of the White House, July 4, 2014.Pete Souza—The White HouseJuly 4, 2015
Pete Souza:“Because it had rained out their family barbecue, the Obamas and their family and friends move to the Truman Balcony and watched the beginning of the fireworks from there before moving up to the roof.”President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and family and friends watch the Fourth of July fireworks from the Truman Balcony of the White House, Saturday, July 4, 2015.Pete Souza—The White House
