In The Room Where it Happened: A Survey Of Presidential Photographers
January 12 – March 31, 2024
Our understanding of the U.S. presidency is largely shaped by images. Photographs of political campaigns, international engagements, historic legislation, and national tragedy, accompany more intimate family scenes and humanizing portraits, each contributing to the global perception of the American presidency for generations to come.
Featuring the work of the official White House photographers Shealah Craighead, Eric Draper, Michael Evans, Sharon Farmer, David Hume Kennerly, Bob McNeely, Yoichi Okamoto, Adam Schultz, Pete Souza, David Valdez and staff photographer Joyce Boghosian, this group has shaped our vision of the presidency for the last 6 decades.
Presidential photography highlights the complex nature of creativity, documentation and portraiture. Each photographers’ perspective and stories provide context for framing important moments, giving viewers a deeper understanding of the challenges and rewards of documenting the presidency, offering a comprehensive and insightful visual narrative of the U.S. presidency through the lens of these dedicated and talented photographers.
About Joyce Boghosian
What began as a three-month internship at the White House Photo Office in 1988 was the start of a career spanning six U.S. presidents. Joyce Naltchayan Boghosian was mentored in her earlier years by her late father, renowned Washington Post photographer for 35 years, Harry Naltchayan. She began working as a photographer at local community newspapers. During the last three months of President Ronald Reagan’s administration, she interned at the White House Photography Office. In 1989, under the direction of President George H. W. Bush’s personal photographer David Valdez, she was hired as a photo assistant for the full term of the administration. In 1994, she joined Agence France-Presse International Wire Service (AFP) as a staff photojournalist at the Washington, DC bureau, mostly assigned to the White House Press Corps covering President Bill Clinton.
Boghosian left AFP wire service in 2004 to once again join the White House photo team under the direction of Chief Photographer Eric Draper. This time she served as an official White House photographer, covering President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush. She documented their daily schedule, both official and personal, at the White House as well as on domestic and foreign travel. In January 2009, she was held over by the Obama administration. She continued her duties as White House photographer under the direction of Chief Photographer Pete Souza, who mostly assigned her to First Lady Michelle Obama. After the first few months of the Obama administration, she left her position to be with her three young children.
Boghosian returned to the White House Photo Office in 2017 under the direction of Chief Photographer Shealah Craighead as an official photographer during President Donald J. Trump’s administration. During these unprecedented times, she documented the president’s daily meetings as the coronavirus evolved, adding to the daily challenges and intense environment.
Her work has taken her to foreign countries, where she has photographed leaders from all around the world. Highlights in her career were photographing three administration’s transition days in the Oval Office, P.M. Margaret Thatcher, President Mikhail Gorbachev, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Pope John Paul II, the funeral of Jordan’s King Hussein, and five U.S. Presidents standing together in the Oval Office at the White House. Boghosian is currently a freelance photographer based in the Washington, DC area.
Interview with Joyce Boghosian
How do you approach capturing the essence of a U.S. President through your lens?.
Over the span of three decades, from 1988 to 2021, I had the privilege of working in various photographic roles in and around the White House. My journey included serving as an official White House photographer during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald J. Trump. Through these experiences, I gained a profound understanding of the weight of the Office of the President and learned how to navigate around the presidents and first ladies. When given the responsibility to document their daily schedules, it was crucial to be unobtrusive, patient, observant, respectful of the Office, and truthful to my mission. Despite their powerful positions, their human side helped keep me grounded and focused on my task. Capturing these moments not only served as a testament to their place in history but also provided me with invaluable insights into the complexities of their roles.
How do you navigate the balance between capturing authentic moments and respecting the president’s privacy?
Balancing the authenticity of moments with the respect for the president’s privacy has consistently presented one of the most challenging aspects of my experience as an official White House photographer. Each president has the prerogative to decline official photography at times, a reality I encountered firsthand. However, I also had the privilege of capturing numerous personal events, from intimate family gatherings to milestone occasions like a first family’s tour of the White House. While I cherished these opportunities, I remained acutely aware of the boundaries between official and private time, knowing when it was appropriate to discreetly step back from their personal space. Navigating these boundaries was important to my approach.
Are there specific rituals or routines you follow when preparing for a presidential photoshoot?
The Director of the White House Photo Office played a key role in establishing the framework for how their supporting photographers covered the President and First Lady’s daily schedule. Having worked across multiple presidential administrations, I experienced certain similarities and protocols carried over from one administration to the next. Each president brought their unique preferences and style to the Office. Personally, this meant adapting to their level of comfort while being photographed throughout the day. This flexibility not only challenged my skills but also deepened my understanding of the nuances in capturing presidential moments.
Can you discuss the importance of visual storytelling in conveying the president’s narrative through your photographs?
Each day at the White House I approached my task with the conviction that I was actively recording history. My contribution along with the other staff photographers helped shape the overall picture of historical events that eventually would define the President’s legacy.
What role does collaboration play between you and other members of the presidential communication team?
Maintaining communication with the President’s aides is crucial for capturing behind the scenes photos during both his public and private engagements throughout the day. The Oval Office is profoundly impacted by major world events, regardless of their proximity, underscoring its pivotal role in global affairs. Staying alert and aligned with the President’s inner circle is vital to successfully document his activities.
Is there a specific image or moment that most encapsulates your vision, or that you are most proud of? Among the millions of images taken during an administration, is there one that meets your measure of success in securing the history of that moment, whether it be significant or minor?
On January 7, 2009, I had the extraordinary opportunity to photograph a historic gathering in the Oval Office. U.S. President George W. Bush graciously hosted President-elect Barack Obama, along with former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton for lunch, just two weeks before the Inauguration. This momentous occasion marked the first time since 1981 that all living past, present, and future Presidents met at the White House. The significance of this event was deeply personal for me, as my late father, Washington Post Photographer Harry Naltchayan, had captured a similar historic gathering on October 8, 1981. On that day, U.S. President Reagan met with former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon before their departure to the funeral of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Notably, his photograph from their press conference was honored with a first place award in the 1982 World Press Photo Contest.
What does it mean for you to be in conversation with so many photographers who share similar journeys in this exhibitions? Has it allowed to see your practice under a different light?
I am deeply appreciative to The Griffin Museum for featuring my work among this collection of significant and impactful images. Throughout my time at the White House, I have held great admiration for the photographs created by the President’s Chief Photographers. They have not only set the standard for documenting the presidency but have also paved the way for future generations. It was truly captivating to hear their firsthand accounts and insights during our lunch discussions, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of the White House photo office over time.
Behind the Lens: Curatorial Insights with Crista Dix
Why is a show like this so critical at this moment in time?
It was important to me in this election year to remember what is at stake here in our country. Remembering who we are as a country and that our diversity is our strength is vital to our success as a democracy. In the Room Where it Happened is a look at power and perception. As the most visible person in the world for our democratic state, the President of the United States is a visual reminder of all that America represents. What was important to me in curating this exhibition is how each of these photographers balanced their unique vision, the shared vision of their principal and creating a lasting document for history, all in a split second. Their vision shapes ours, their view of history is our view of history.
What ideas do you hope the show sparks in people’s minds?
This cohort of photographers has all had a ringside seat to our history, our shared experience. What was important for me was to celebrate the visions of these historians and documentarians behind the camera. What I hope for people to see is to be reminded of our shared history, to remember the peaceful transfer of power, of how working together we can solve problems. This exhibition also shows in a subtle way the expectation of how we see our president, how through time our expectation of that vision has changed, evolved and become more human. These photographers use their creative vision to stop time.
Where did the idea of the exhibition come from?
It started with a conversation of one of our board members, Lou Jones. It was meant to be a smaller scale exhibition, and I took it further than planned. As an armchair historian, I couldn’t wait to have these photographers write their own history. Always the silent partner in the room, I was looking forward to seeing them speak with their vision. My conversations with each photographer taught me more about history, theirs and ours, about the craft of photography and about their vision, and I hope that comes through as people walk the exhibition and see all the details captured in each frame.
