Michelle Obama's White House photographer shares candids

[mbcdefg]

Behind the lens: Michelle Obama's White House photographer shares candid stories




www.yahoo.com/gma/behind-lens-michelle-obamas-white-house-photographer-shares-121406381--abc-news-lifestyle.html


Photographer Amanda Lucidon had a front-row seat to the events in the Obama White House.



For four years, Lucidon was the only female photographer on the White House staff and tasked with covering first lady Michelle Obama.



“To be one of the few female photographers in [White House] history was really special. But on top of that, just to work for the administration that had appointed more women and minorities than any other administration; that was a real special thing,” Lucidon said in an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts for “Good Morning America.”



Lucidon, 38, is stepping out from behind the lens for the first time and sharing her personal reflections in a new book, “Chasing Light.” The book is a collection of her candid photographs of the first family and is filled with the lessons she learned along the way.

[lilibet]

I miss them.

This is really neat. I love these inside their lives photos.

[WOT?*]

I miss them. Their class and their openness and their humor and, most importantly, their genuineness.

[insominac]

The one with her and the four girls on the couch is one of my favorites. I love how she can make anyone feel comfortable and natural - probably because she is such a genuine person. And she’s so wonderful with children. I knew about Pete Souza (and have tickets to his talk in Jan) but didn’t know about her photographer. Thanks for sharing!

[picksthemusic]

I. Miss. Them. So. Much.

These photographs are making me cry here at my desk!

[OscarQ]

Shit. I’m going to have to look at this article later. Just those four pictures were so lovely and full of so much joy. Crying.

[sparrowsong]

Is it normal for pres and First Lady to have photographers with them so much? Or does it just seems the the obamas shared a more personal side with America.

It must get boring with 45. Watching tv. Golfing. Raging. Golfing. More golfing. Back to tv. I bet he, Melanie and Barron are almost never in the same room.

Miss the obamas too.

[macmars45]

Oh I miss the Obamas. They are the best.

[lilibet]

Oct 16, 2017 17:18:21 GMT -5 sparrowsong said:

Is it normal for pres and First Lady to have photographers with them so much? Or does it just seems the the obamas shared a more personal side with America.

It must get boring with 45. Watching tv. Golfing. Raging. Golfing. More golfing. Back to tv. I bet he, Melanie and Barron are almost never in the same room.

Miss the obamas too.

It is typical, looks like it became an official photographer with JFK and before was maybe military....

Here's a wiki (I know)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Official_White_House_Photographer

Here's some of GW
www.ericdraperphotography.com/photos/President%20George%20W.%20Bush/

Looks like PBS did a special on the photographers
www.pbs.org/programs/presidents-photographer/

[lilibet]

Appears this is 45's photographer. Poor woman....
www.pbs.org/newshour/art/like-president-trumps-white-house-photographer/

[sm12]

I miss them so much. It is still crushing to think that we went from the lovely, smart, caring, compassionate Obamas to..... what we have now.

The kids' faces when she surprised those students from the art program - they are genuinely THRILLED she's there. No one would give a flip if cheeto walked in.

[notsopicky]

I don't know if we'll ever have a family so presidential in the White House again.

Those pictures are gold.

[mbcdefg]

I loved the videos of the White House tours where Michelle Obama would be waiting in a room, unannounced, and then people would turn the corner and see her and flip out.

Sometimes she'd have Bo with her.

[mrsd2006]

Oct 16, 2017 17:43:12 GMT -5 lilibet said:

Appears this is 45's photographer. Poor woman....
www.pbs.org/newshour/art/like-president-trumps-white-house-photographer/

I was wondering if there even was an official photographer. 

[mbcdefg]

Oct 16, 2017 17:43:12 GMT -5 lilibet said:

Appears this is 45's photographer. Poor woman....
www.pbs.org/newshour/art/like-president-trumps-white-house-photographer/

Eh, screw her. She took the job.

[eddy]

Oct 16, 2017 17:43:24 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

On a different note, I saw a photo of Melania Trump today on msn or something. I don't know what she was doing, or where she was at. Nor did I care enough to read. 


But man, she is not aging well. Girl looks.... not good. 

It is all the haterade. You can't live that kind of life and not show the scars. Even if you are just an accessory. It isn't good for your pores.

[isabel]

Oct 16, 2017 17:43:12 GMT -5 lilibet said:

Appears this is 45's photographer. Poor woman....
www.pbs.org/newshour/art/like-president-trumps-white-house-photographer/

Lol @ him questioning why she has more pictures of him golfing than anything else. Are you really that dense, Donald?

And I’m way skeeved out by her talking about him complimenting her. Gross.

The picture of him walking out for the inauguration is... not flattering. He looks like a hulking menace.

Eta: I hate how much she normalizes him and his administration in a few of those questions. Fuck her.

[mbcdefg]

Oct 17, 2017 9:46:22 GMT -5 isabel said:

Oct 16, 2017 17:43:12 GMT -5 lilibet said:

Appears this is 45's photographer. Poor woman....
www.pbs.org/newshour/art/like-president-trumps-white-house-photographer/

Lol @ him questioning why she has more pictures of him golfing than anything else. Are you really that dense, Donald?

I mean, it's not like she can follow him into the bathroom, otherwise we'd have lots of "straining on the toilet and screaming at Twitter" photos as well.

[sushi]

Oct 16, 2017 17:43:24 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

On a different note, I saw a photo of Melania Trump today on msn or something. I don't know what she was doing, or where she was at. Nor did I care enough to read. 


But man, she is not aging well. Girl looks.... not good. 

We white people never do.

No one says white don't wrinkle. There's no pithy rhyme for a reason.

[downtoearth]

Oh man, the Obamas do camping with the girl scouts on the white house lawn. I would have loved that as a kid. They are so sweet.

[candreco]

You can tell that the Obamas really looked at interacting with a variety of Americans as a perk of the job, something to be enjoyed. It was the fun part of a very serious, very intense job.

The Trumps, on the other hand, have obviously never given a crap about anyone but themselves and have no interest in meeting and talking to the people they theoretically represent to world.

[heyjude]

Oh god. I'm heartbroken. Was that the alternative reality or is this one? Geeze. I love them.

[mbcdefg]

Oct 17, 2017 12:49:34 GMT -5 candreco said:

You can tell that the Obamas really looked at interacting with a variety of Americans as a perk of the job, something to be enjoyed. It was the fun part of a very serious, very intense job.

The Trumps, on the other hand, have obviously never given a crap about anyone but themselves and have no interest in meeting and talking to the people they theoretically represent to world.

At the VERY least, Trump and his croanies could just ... you know ... not treat Americans like garbage. 

I'm an introvert. I'm not a really touchy-feely person. I don't really have a problem with a president who just wants to keep his/her head down and do the job. I don't even have a problem with a FLOTUS who doesn't want to take on the traditional role of hostess, charity patron, spearheading a themed initiative, what have you. A president has plenty of people - VP, Cabinet members, aides, even other family members - who could take on the social element. It's NICE if a POTUS is a (wo)man of the people, but as long as (s)he isn't a dick then, whatever, it's not strictly necessary that (s)he do all these photo ops and meet-and-greets.

But Trump can't do the actual job. He has no interest in doing the job, either. He just gets up there every day and lies and hurls insults and wastes taxpayer money on golf trips and attempts to further his own "brand." And his shitpig family members and VP and Cabinet members all do the same. He's just in it for the attention, and we're all paying the price (some groups more than others).

[mssaint]

Ohhhh. I helped make one of those events pictured happen <3.

My last job took me to the White House a few times and I met Michelle there once. The first time was at a Let’s Move kids’ town hall in the White House and I had brought a group of kids and was seated in the chaperone area. She came over afterward and shook hands with all 15-20 of us and told us all that what we did to help kids was an important job. It was televised and the look of stunned awe on my face when she shook my hand was so funny.

Other times, I arranged for small groups of kids to go for events related to my organization’s policy priorities and once the kids I brought got to go into the Oval Office and meet both President Obama and Michelle. This was maybe 2009, and the kids who went are almost all out of school now but I ran into one girl’s mom recently and she said “Susie will never forget that night and how kind they were.”

They were the absolute best.

I miss them so.

[candreco]

Oct 17, 2017 13:02:21 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Oct 17, 2017 12:49:34 GMT -5 candreco said:

You can tell that the Obamas really looked at interacting with a variety of Americans as a perk of the job, something to be enjoyed. It was the fun part of a very serious, very intense job.

The Trumps, on the other hand, have obviously never given a crap about anyone but themselves and have no interest in meeting and talking to the people they theoretically represent to world.

At the VERY least, Trump and his croanies could just ... you know ... not treat Americans like garbage. 

I'm an introvert. I'm not a really touchy-feely person. I don't really have a problem with a president who just wants to keep his/her head down and do the job. I don't even have a problem with a FLOTUS who doesn't want to take on the traditional role of hostess, charity patron, spearheading a themed initiative, what have you. A president has plenty of people - VP, Cabinet members, aides, even other family members - who could take on the social element. It's NICE if a POTUS is a (wo)man of the people, but as long as (s)he isn't a dick then, whatever, it's not strictly necessary that (s)he do all these photo ops and meet-and-greets.

But Trump can't do the actual job. He has no interest in doing the job, either. He just gets up there every day and lies and hurls insults and wastes taxpayer money on golf trips and attempts to further his own "brand." And his shitpig family members and VP and Cabinet members all do the same. He's just in it for the attention, and we're all paying the price (some groups more than others).

Oh, I agree.  The warmth of the Obamas was a bonus to having a competent, thoughtful person in the White House.  But the differences in their approaches to interacting with people are pretty indicative of how they see the job too.  I mean, Trump likes going out and seeing people, but only if he's on a stage and they're cheering for him.  Obama seemed genuinely interested in people's lives.