Pete Souza

Pete Souza is a highly distinguished American photojournalist and the only individual to have served as the Chief Official White House Photographer for two U.S. Presidents. His career is a definitive study in access, trust, and historical documentation.

Souza began his career working for Kansas newspapers, honing the skills that would later allow him to capture unguarded moments on the world stage. Between his two White House terms, first working in the White House under President Rnald Reagan, he worked as a staff photographer for the Chicago Tribune and took on major international assignments for publications like National Geographic, including his dramatic coverage of the war in Afghanistan. It was during this period that a crucial assignment put him in the path of a young, then-unknown Senator named Barack Obama.

He is best known for his eight years documenting the entire Obama administration, where his philosophy was clear: to document for the people of the United States and for the historical record. The images he captured cemented his status as "The Quiet Observer."

Today, Pete Souza is a New York Times bestselling author of books like Obama: An Intimate Portrait and Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents. He has successfully transitioned from a dedicated observer to an influential public voice, consistently using his iconic photography to comment on current events and advocate for democratic values.