Via Wired: In a historic move, the White House uploaded 293 photos into the Official White House Photostream on Flickr in late April. While most news-consuming Americans already may feel like they have complete access to the President, these behind-the-scenes snaps reveal a more relatable and intimate side of our Commander in Chief. The move is a crowd-pleaser for those of us who use Flickr regularly and enjoy its social capabilities. And while the milestone would’ve been significant under any circumstances, it’s especially sweet after an administration that largely pretended the internet did not exist. For optimists, uploading these photos is also a token gesture of that Obama transparency we’ve been hearing so much about.
Pete Souza, an assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University, is the official White House photographer responsible for these varied and often charming images. Souza photographed President Reagan for over 5 years and has been following Obama’s career since his first year in the Senate. He’s shooting with a Canon 5D Mark II which he picked up after being hired to his current position, which is considered for many the professional camera of choice at the moment. Considering the Mark II also has HD video capabilities, perhaps we can look forward to some footage to go along with these stills in the future.
