Where were you on 9/11? Twenty-five years ago, our next guest lived it alongside President George W. Bush.
Today, twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, White House photographer Eric Draper joins me for a very special conversation about photography, the White House, President George W. Bush, and what it was like to document one of the defining moments of modern American history from just a few feet away.
Eric spent eight years as George W. Bush's Chief White House Photographer, but getting there wasn't something he had carefully planned. A career in photojournalism, the 2000 presidential campaign, a Christmas party in Austin — and a little encouragement from his wife — eventually led him to the White House.
From there, life became rather busy. Eric travelled the world with the President aboard Air Force One, photographed world leaders and major events, and had a unique view of the presidency both inside and outside the Oval Office. We talk about what that job was really like, the challenges of photographing a President day after day, and some of the wonderfully unexpected moments that happen when the cameras are around but the official photo opportunity is over.
Then we come to September 11.
Eric takes me back to that morning in Sarasota, Florida, when what had started as a routine presidential visit suddenly became something very different. We follow the story from the first news in the motorcade through the school, onto Air Force One and back towards Washington — and into the days that followed.
We also talk about the photographs Eric made during that extraordinary week, the responsibility of documenting history while actually living through it, and what happens when a photographer has to keep working even when the emotions of what he's witnessing become overwhelming.
And 25 years later, what does Eric see when he looks back at those photographs? Has time changed the way he understands what he documented? And what does it mean to have photographs that have become part of the historical record while still carrying so many personal memories for the person who made them?
There are some difficult moments in this conversation, but there are also plenty of stories about Eric himself — because behind the White House photographs is a photographer with a fascinating career, a good sense of humour, and quite a few stories about life around one of the most photographed people in the world.
A special episode dedicated to the memory of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and to the firefighters, police officers, first responders, rescue workers and others who put themselves in harm’s way to help others 🕊️
📸 See more of Eric Draper's work:
https://www.ericdraperphotography.com/
🎙️ If you remember September 11, 2001, where were you that day? What do you remember about those first few hours? Share your story in the comments — I'd genuinely love to hear it.
🎧 Got any questions? Email us
Thanks for listening and look out for our next episode! 🚀
