Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People Inside the Lens of a White House Photographer with Pete Souza
May 13, 2026
Pete Souza, award-winning American photojournalist who photographed Presidents Reagan and Obama. He recounts how he got into the White House, the rituals and workflows behind presidential photography, and the ethics of editing and archiving. He reflects on capturing presidents’ humanity, the power of single images, and using photography to preserve normalcy and accountability.
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Hometown Coverage Led To White House Role
- Build trust by documenting subjects over time; proximity creates professional familiarity that can lead to big opportunities.
- Souza documented Obama in the Senate for years, emailed "I'm interested" before the inauguration, and was asked to be chief White House photographer.
Access Reveals The President's Humanity
- Close access reveals the humanity behind powerful offices, changing public perception of leaders.
- Souza saw Reagan and Obama up close and concluded both were genuinely decent human beings despite political differences.
Quick Calls Versus Long Deliberations
- Decision timelines vary between immediate or months-long deliberations depending on urgency and consensus.
- Souza contrasted Obama’s months of deliberation over Afghanistan with Reagan approving a backstage national security action almost instantly.
