Recalling days of youth, Pete Souza remembers seeing the now-famous photograph of Lyndon B. Johnson being sworn in as president on the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Souza marveled at the photograph, telling members of Salt Lake Community College about how this single photo told a deeply human story and would later inspire his career in photojournalism.
“It was magic to me,” he said.
Souza served as this year’s speaker for SLCC’s annual Tanner Forum on Social Ethics, which took place Oct. 25 at The Grand Theatre. He acted as the chief official White House photographer for Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama during their respective presidencies.
During the forum, Souza showed the audience photographs he’s taken over his career – spanning since the 1970s in Kansas – and spoke about his experiences covering both presidential administrations.
Early on in his career, Souza told the audience, he learned an important lesson regarding journalism when a man allegedly responsible for starting a building fire punched Souza for taking his photograph.
“There are some people who won’t want you to photograph them, but you have to go ahead and do it,” Souza said.
Another essential aspect of photography is capturing small moments that tell bigger stories, Souza said, which he discussed while showing a photograph of Reagan helping his wife, Nancy, from her horse after a weekend ride at Camp David.
“The key to photography is humanization,” Souza said.
This humanization manifested in much of Souza’s work during the Obama presidency. Examples include photographs of Obama playing in the snow with his family and coaching his daughter Sasha’s basketball team.
“[Obama’s] dreams came true … when Sasha’s coach couldn’t make the game,” Souza said.
But with the highs also came the lows, Souza added. Those included difficult moments such as when Obama and his security team watched from the White House Situation Room as Navy SEALs moved in to kill Osama Bin Laden, and when news of the Sandy Hook shooting reached the president.
Souza said one of the most impactful moments to him was the day the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the country in 2015.
“‘You have to be here to see this,’” Souza recalled telling his wife upon seeing the rainbow colors strewn across the White House in celebration of the ruling.
Taking Questions
After his presentation, Souza answered audience questions from social media, one of which asked Souza if he has any favorite places or subjects that he’s photographed.
“I’ve been blessed to work with some of the most talented people in remarkable locations, but there is no place I’d rather be than where I can watch history unfolding,” Souza answered.
Earlier in the day, Souza also attended a student luncheon at the South City Campus where he answered technical questions about photography and how social media has affected journalism. Souza addressed the growing concern of misinformation, and whether photography can act as a source for it.
“It can be,” Souza said. “This is why it’s so important, whether it’s a photograph or a story, that you know the source.”
He noted that even though social media has changed the way we consume news, the fundamentals of the industry, with some exceptions, remain the same.
“[Journalism] is about who, what, where, how,” Souza said, “but … [some] outlets aren’t even doing journalism anymore.”
As the forum’s Q&A wrapped up, Souza was asked what other photographers he admires. “There’s so many,” he responded with a chuckle, encouraging the audience to visit his Instagram profile and check out those he follows, many of whom are photographers.
Photos featured at the forum, and more, can be found in Souza’s book, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait.” Additionally, the documentary film “The Way I See It” revolves around Souza and his first-hand experience as chief White House photographer.
