Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents

Description

As Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza spent more time alongside President Barack Obama than almost anyone else. His years photographing the President gave him an intimate behind-the-scenes view of the unique gravity of the Office of the Presidency, and the tremendous responsibility that comes with it. Now, as a concerned citizen observing the Trump administration, he is standing up and speaking out. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Here, more than one hundred of Souza's unforgettable images of President Obama deliver new power and meaning when framed by the tweets, news headlines, and quotes that defined the first 500 days of the Trump White House. What began with Souza's Instagram posts soon after President Trump's inauguration in January 2017 has become a potent commentary on the state of the Presidency, and the USA. Some call this 'throwing shade'. Souza calls it telling the truth. In Shade, Souza's photographs are more than a rejoinder to the chaos, abuses of power, and destructive policies that now define America's highest office. They are a reminder of a President we could believe in, and a courageous defense of American values.

Pete Souza was the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and the Director of the White House Photo Office. Previously Souza was an Assistant Professor of Photojournalism at Ohio University, the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune, a freelancer for National Geographic, and an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan. His books include the New York Times bestsellers Obama: An Intimate Portrait and The Rise of Barack Obama. Souza is currently a freelance photographer based in Washington, D.C., and a Professor Emeritus at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication.

Former White House photographer Pete Souza has turned his portraits of Obama into spiky ripostes to the tweet-happy current president * Observer * As President Obama's photographer, Pete Souza was one of the very finest official White House snappers. In his provocative Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, he contrasts pictures of the 44th incumbent with vignettes from the administration of the 45th -- Ben Schott * Guardian *