Picturing Obama: Eight Years of Photographing the First Black President

"Honestly, I hadn't thought about being a White House photographer at all until President Obama came around," photojournalist Lawrence Jackson told WNYC's cultural critic Rebecca Carroll. "If Hillary Clinton had been the nominee, I would have stayed at the (Associated Press). And that's no knock against her. It just shows how much I appreciated him and thought his message was important."

President Barack Obama at his second inaugural swearing-in ceremony, January 21, 2013

(Lawrence Jackson )

Although he is quick to acknowledge the political impact of President Obama as both a leader and a black man in America, Jackson says his new book, Yes We Did — which includes not just photographs, but commentary in honor of the 44th president — is not about politics, but about capturing the emotional complexity of a man and his family. 

Invariably, as a black man photographing another black man in his role as the highest elected official in America, a country founded and built on the backs of black people, race factors in to how Jackson viewed and now reflects on President Obama.

"I often think if he were a white guy, he'd be 10 times more popular than he was," he said. "What I'm trying to figure out with race is, is it because he's a black guy, or because he's a good guy who is concerned and aware of the issues?"  

President Barack Obama waving goodbye to General Services Administration staff, January 17, 2017

(Lawrence Jackson )

Listen to the conversation by clicking "listen," above.