Year in Photographs 2012 by Pete Souza (White House Photographer)

[n2doc]

Lots more from an amazing year

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/sets/72157632418300447/

[ProSense]

1. Absolutely amazing.

I can't pick a favorite. I love the bottom photo in the OP, but the photos with the kids and some many others are wonderful.

Thanks for posting.

[progressoid]

2. Hello. Is Vladamir there?

[BVictor1]

5. Love this.

Being an African-American male, seeing a young African American kid in the Oval Office playing, without a care or worry in the world is surreal.

Imagine, slaves help build the White House and now we have our first African-American president and well, the image above.

Priceless...

[Cha]

14. I love it too..

There's also this iconic pic of the President holding a small African American girl under a picture of Lincoln in the White House that is Beautiful. Sorry, I can't it find right now.

[renate]

34. voila!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/8341900614/in/set-72157632418300447

[Cha]

46. Thank you, renate!

[Cha]

47. But, thanks to renate.. here it is..

[rocktivity]

21. Vladamir: "RELEASE THE NUKES!"

"The Americans have released theirs -- operation code name 'Poopy head'!"


rocktivity

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. I love that bottom pic. So classy. Thanks for sharing.

[October]

19. Me, too!

I'd love to know the story behind that photo. I love it!

[Spazito]

24. It was taken at Laura Jarrett's wedding, Valerie Jarrett's daughter...

Here is the caption from under the photo on flickr:

June 18, 2012
"The First Lady reacts as she watches Laura Jarrett and Tony Balkissoon take their vows during their wedding at Valerie Jarrett's home in Chicago." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

[calimary]

42. Always makes me feel a little better looking at her. For many reasons.

I'm proud that she represents me as America's First Lady. I'm proud and impressed and SO delighted that they'll be around for another four years!

AND it makes me really happy to think that our President has that gorgeous, brilliant, alluring, dedicated, loving, supportive, and sexy-as-hell woman to come home to at night, what with all the battering he has to take from the bad guys all day every day.

VERY pleased! Thumbs UP!!!! WAY WAY UP!!!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

43. Extremely well stated.

[Botany]

4. Everybody must go through these pix

Damn I am so proud of that man.

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. Couldn't resist!

Aug. 14, 2012
"The President waves from his campaign bus to people lining the motorcade route in Iowa." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


Nov. 19, 2012
"To some, this is just a snapshot and doesn't belong in this gallery of candid photographs from the year. But to me, it evokes what the trip to Burma was all about. Here is the President, shoes and socks off in respect, posing like an American tourist in front of the oldest pagoda in the world in a country that no U.S. President had ever been able to visit."

President Barack Obama stands barefoot in front of the 368-foot tall Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon, Burma, Nov. 19, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


I can never resist him with kids.

Dec. 16, 2012
"Two days after the shootings at Newtown, the President traveled to Connecticut to meet with the victims' families and give remarks at a prayer vigil. The President spent hours greeting family members. Difficult as that was for everyone, the one moment that helped sooth the pain was when he posed for a photo with the siblings and cousins of Emilie Parker, one of the 20 children who died that day in Newtown. I see both sadness and hope in this photograph, and I know after a lot of tears that day, it meant so much to the President that everyone was able to smile for a moment in this family photo. Thanks to the Parker family for allowing us to show this photograph publicly." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)


Feb. 29, 2012
"Sonya Hebert made this amusing photograph of Bo, the Obama family dog, as he was being videotaped for the Easter Egg Roll, in the East Colonnade of the White House." (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

[catbyte]

36. Even Bo is charismatic. What a First Family!

The shot of Bo belongs in the "Sez awww" or "Maik SQUEE" pages, LOL. The way Bo's foofy legs merge into his foofy feet cracks me up every time I see him walking. Even though I am a Cat Woman, I love that dog.

[Tarheel_Dem]

39. Bo is just irresistable. What a great fit for this wonderful family.

[Greybnk48]

7. Just spent the last 1/2 hour going over all of these.

I loved each and every one. Thanks so much for posting them.

[Third Doctor]

8. I like that tan suit.

[Volaris]

27. That's so odd, that's the second time in a week I've heard people commenting on his wardrobe...

The first was some random lady that came to check into the hotel I work at...I had the news on in the lobby, and she kind of smiled and said:

"You know, I didn't vote for him, but I'll say this... The Devil picks out that man's ties, that's why he got the Women's Vote."

I kept my comments on any gay men that might have voted for him to my self, and tried NOT to laugh my fool ass off.
It was awesome.

[catbyte]

37. "The Devil picks out his ties"? Excuse me? I guess it's too early in the day & the caffeine

hasn't kicked in yet, but I don't get it.

[Volaris]

38. she meant that he looks really, REALLY sexy in them.

The Devil appearing to women as a beautiful Man in order to seduce them is a very old motif in Christianity. It's where the adjective "devilish" good looks" comes from. She was making a joke at the idea that some of the idiots believe President Obama is the antichrist, and commenting highly on the well-chosen nature of his wardrobe at the same time.

The inside joke and trun of phrase is why I found it difficult not to laugh WITH her, because they were pretty well-crafted.

And you'll never have to apologize to me for what the lack of caffiene can do to your brain lol.

[catbyte]

48. Thanks so much for the explanation, Volaris. Sometimes I'm not very quick on the

uptake, lol.

[a kennedy]

9. Love all of them.....

keeping this bookmarked.

[hibbing]

10. Dang it, where is my Kleenex

Hey,
Thanks for posting the link. Some made me smile, many made me so proud and some made me cry.

Peace

[juajen]

11. Thanks so much for these. Gotta say, our Prez and his family warm my heart.

[rtassi]

12. Thank you so much ... I really enjoyed that!

[PATXgirl]

13. Thanks for posting the pics and the link. Lots of wonderful pictures.

The one that started the tears is the image of President Obama at his desk, the portrait of Washington above him and the two busts behind him...Lincoln to one side and MLKing to the other. Great image.

[samsingh]

15. nice photos

his love for Michelle is clearly visible in how he looks at her.

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

16. This is also one of my favorites...

He is the President of the United States, but he took the time to sit down and talk to that one girl. Behind the glitz and power of the Presidency is a truly caring man!

[rocktivity]

22. I don't think it's an accident that she's so much darker than the others.

Which reminds me of this one Obama: tackling the black hair thing.




rocktivity

[calimary]

44. I absolutely LOVE this photo. I love ALL the shots of President Obama with kids!

This one's a 24k-gold keeper!

[renate]

17. oh. my. gosh.

What a treat! These pictures are actually FUN to go through--not only am I so so so proud that this man is our President, I just plain LIKE him!

[ReRe]

18. Thank you, n2doc...

K&R

...for sharing these and the link. I went and watched the entire slide show twice. Amazing. Just amazing. We squibble and we squabble on here on PO's policies, but we all must admit, we are so lucky to have him as our President. After eight long horrifying years under GW, we have PO and his family. God Bless us all, that's all I can say...

[justiceischeap]

20. There's a great documentary about Pete Souza

called The President’s Photographer: Fifty Years Inside the Oval Office

http://www.pbs.org/the-presidents-photographer (You can watch it online)

[Rose Siding]

29. Thanks - Souza has an amazing talent.

I'll watch that.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

31. THANK YOU, Justiceischeap

Wonderful documentary!

[renate]

33. I'm TOTALLY going to watch that tomorrow!

Thanks! It's late now but I can't wait to watch it later!

[TygrBright]

23. Some leaders seem to think the world belongs to them. Some, like our President...

...seem to understand that it's the other way around.

I have not seen, in my lifetime, a President who allows himself to belong to all of us with such grace, good humor, AND gravitas.

Yes, Souza is a grand photographer indeed and it takes great artistry to catch the right moment at the right angle. But no photographer can do more than approximate a sense that doesn't actually exist. The balance of dedication, pride, and humility that shines in these photographs is not something that can be photoshopped.

Thanks for sharing!

appreciatively,
Bright

[Hekate]

51. You said it for me, TygrBright

All the way.

[Scurrilous]

25. K & R

[Little Star]

26. k&r Love these!

[liberal N proud]

28. This one is the most pointed

[Iwillnevergiveup]

30. Fantastic records!

Don't miss the PBS video on Pete Souza - utterly remarkable!

[Earth_First]

32. The best job in the world. No question about it. n/t

[Kahuna]

35. Bookmarking for later..nt

[Boomerproud]

40. The third photo of the Obama's really shows a couple that still believe in love.

You can't fake that.

[calimary]

45. Welcome to DU, boomerproud!

I love that photo, too. They genuinely look like they love each other, AND like each other, too. That's important to a solid and long-running marriage! I see that in the eyes of both Barack and Michelle Obama as they look at each other. It's quite clear.

Makes me SOOOOOO happy and proud!!! They're the ones who represent American couples to the world. I think they make us all look pretty doggone good!

[lunatica]

41. Thanks!

[The Green Manalishi]

49. Isn't it nice

not having to be embarrassed by your President? I think GWB *tried* to do the right thing, as his vapid and controlled little mind saw it, but he had neither the intellect nor the class to do so. I may not always agree with President Obama, but he has not just a good intellect but the kind of genuine class and style I admire.

[Beacool]

50. Lovely pics.

My favorite ones are the ones from Laura Jarrett's wedding (Michelle's reaction is charming), Bo and his rabbit ears and this one.



Candid camera: Official photographer Pete Souza caught the split-second reaction of Obama, VP Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after she accidentally dropped all of her briefing papers onto the Oval Office rug

[Are_grits_groceries]

52. Ha! Kids crack me up.

She is obviously not impresed.