Malia Obama: Documenting History
EmailABC News’ Yunji de Nies reports:
Being part of the White House press corps can be a rough assignment. Literally. Photographers often push, shove and elbow for access in their struggle to get the shot. But the littlest White House shutterbug does not have that problem.
Lately, Malia Obama has doing her own documenting: from her family’s whistle-stop tour into Washington, to the inaugural concert on the mall, to her father’s big day. The 10-year old has been seen repeatedly with a small, purple digital camera snapping away.
The official White House photographer Pete Souza understands why.
"He is a great photographic subject," Souza said, said of the president.
Souza has taken pictures of Malia taking pictures but says he has yet to see her work.
"I haven’t, but I should probably take a look and maybe I could help her a little bit in her composition," Souza said.
The first daughter is certainly not the first to document her experience at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Fromer President Gerald Ford’s daughter Susan said she discovered her love for photography by following around the White House press corps. And Tipper Gore, wife of former Vice President Al Gore, published a book of her own work. One featured the historic handshake on Sept. 14,1993 between the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Yasser Arafat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Speaking about the photograph in 2006, she told ABC’s Claire Shipman, "I was attending the ceremony with my husband and I took my camera and I could not resist."
The White House will not release Malia’s photos — but her classmates did get to see them. She documented her inaugural week for a school project. Now that’s some show and tell.
Tune in to "World News" Saturday to see more.
-Yunji de Nies
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adorable!
Posted by: clarity | January 24, 2009, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
I understand that young Miss Obama turned to the much-taller Vice-President Biden for help on the stand when her view of certain portions of the Inauguration was obscured and she couldn’t get the shots she wanted.
However, at the age of only 10, she’s already up to her mother’s shoulders in terms of height. One of these days, she’ll be tall enough to photograph scenes that many of the rest of us are too short to see. Who knows? She might someday turn this interest into a career.
Posted by: Eleonora27 | January 24, 2009, 6:50 pm 6:50 pm
Good for her! I would LOVE to have her viewpoint… I hope she is a scrap booker, she will have an awesome view on history over the next few years. I just wish we could see her shots.
Posted by: TheresaK | January 24, 2009, 7:27 pm 7:27 pm
How wonderful to see young children in the White House again. Maybe we’ll all be able to learn from their innocence, youthful curiosity and abandon and, hopefully, it will help us all bring back a more kind, tolerant, friendlier and more gentle tone to this country.
I would love to see her pics. Who knows? Perhaps this will turn into her calling in life.
Posted by: Hoping | January 24, 2009, 7:47 pm 7:47 pm
The Obama girls really are adorable. I hope they get the space to grow up that the media, to a large extent, afforded Amy and Chelsea. I was glad to see Mrs. Obama’s office slap down the beanie baby folks for slapping the girls’ names on the dolls.
My favorite story from their inauguration week adventures was the scavenger hunt ending with the Jonas Brothers. What a thrill that must have been for the girls! I’m glad they are getting to have fun.
Posted by: moderate | January 24, 2009, 8:12 pm 8:12 pm
They are both very loved by thier parents:)
Posted by: RIC2007 | January 24, 2009, 9:54 pm 9:54 pm
She is just a 10 y/o with a camera and this is her daddy. We will probably
see these in “history”. Hum……..
Posted by: Mildred | January 24, 2009, 10:16 pm 10:16 pm
I hope she gets a nice SLR camera, and soon! She can go nuts with it, and it is so much better than what she is using…no waiting…
Posted by: Jamie Nicholas | January 24, 2009, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
Let me guess, Mildred you are republican, you did not vote for Obama, don’t like Obama. Right !
Now, what had Malia done that offended you? She’s just doing what any 10 year old need to do … school project !
“If you have nothing good to say, say NOTHING ! ”
For Malia, if she’s interested to take up photography as a hobby, she will get the best advise and mentor from Souza and any of the professionals around the white house. Do whateveer you like to do!
Posted by: 2cents | January 24, 2009, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
America has returned!!
Posted by: bob10001 | January 24, 2009, 11:07 pm 11:07 pm
“I hope she gets a nice SLR camera . . .”
I hope not, at least not soon. The beauty of Malia taking pictures is that she is just like any other 10 year old kid enthralled with a simple digital camera.
Posted by: kathy | January 25, 2009, 12:38 am 12:38 am
Where was America before? We didn’t go anywhere and we haven’t changed.
We are here, we are there. We work, we love, we vote, we fight, we love, we pray.
Posted by: robert b | January 25, 2009, 12:39 am 12:39 am
I am fatigued with all gushing over President Obama. His children seem precious but I do not understand all this fluff reporting. Keep me informed about the state of this country and the world. Thank you
Posted by: Deborah | January 25, 2009, 1:01 am 1:01 am
If her photos were seen by her classmates and she documented her inaugural week for a school project, I suspect it was an assignment Malia got from her teacher!
Posted by: Rosie | January 25, 2009, 4:01 am 4:01 am
i believe the real things and obama is one real things that happends to america his young malia is the tru color of white house and she is doing woundrful job by recording history of white house.
Posted by: narges sharif askari | January 25, 2009, 4:11 am 4:11 am
Hmmmm!
Posted by: anonymous | January 25, 2009, 4:13 am 4:13 am
When ever Obama was found with dirty money during the campaign he donated it to charities of his choice rather than return it to the donor.
My question is how come the MEDIA never reported what these charities were that Obama donated this tainted money to and what legal honest charity would accept tainted blood money??
Posted by: hager | January 25, 2009, 6:51 am 6:51 am
hager…
I am still waiting for the MEDIA to investigate where Obama’s campaign money really came from since all he has to do is release the IP addresses of the poeple who donated this annyoumous money to Obama.
Posted by: people we lost to a hypocrit | January 25, 2009, 6:54 am 6:54 am
Obama still defies the MEDIA scrutiny by banning all lobbyist but then employees them in his highest positions?????
Posted by: scanoulus | January 25, 2009, 6:56 am 6:56 am
People we lost to a hypocrit:
Have you read the topic of this article? Why are you injecting your bitterness feelings which has nothing to do with this topic?
For your information the money you are asking for came from people.
Posted by: Its time to move on | January 25, 2009, 7:47 am 7:47 am
Its time to move on..
Let Obama prove then what people and what countries his ANONYMOUS internet donations came from then if he is really not a HYPOCRITE and has an OPEN GOVERNMENT like he claims.
Hitler would of loved people like you and so does Obama
Posted by: free the people | January 25, 2009, 8:29 am 8:29 am
free the people:
Ok stay where you are and wait for the investigation, but do not hold other people to let the President do whatever is beneficial to them.
Posted by: Its time to move on | January 25, 2009, 9:24 am 9:24 am
Malia is definitely at the age for this type of assignment from her teacher. What bothers me about most people who live in the White House is that they all have to go back on their campaign promises and every voter knows that unless they are completely unaware of our system of government. There are three branches, Judicial, Executive and Legislative so those of you who believed that the “Bush” policies were completely set by him and him alone are unaware that the president does very little but tries to be the great “influencer” and if the congress doesn’t get it then we toss the matter up to the Supreme Court and they decide the matter. Now that Bush is safely in Texas please begin to understand Washington DC and it’s powerful “trappings” and consider how you would like to be president and live in a fishbowl for at least 4 years. Your hide (skin) better be tough or you won’t make it for long. And the Federal Bankers are just that bankers and we, the People, by our habits and ethics, legalities give them the measurement of the money system. The Federal Bank is separate from the rest of the government system.
Posted by: Kathy | January 25, 2009, 11:03 am 11:03 am
Kathy- That’s an interesting defense of Bush.
Posted by: kathy | January 25, 2009, 11:27 am 11:27 am
I understand Malia is very interested in history. She wanted to write important school papers sitting at Lincoln’s desk since it might inspire big thoughts. I don’t know why anyone would want to burden a ten year old with the weight and size of a digital SLR. There is no difference between the waiting time for your digital SLR and the cheap little digital cameras. The only difference might be the number of megapixels and the processor speed, and shutter lag. I am excited that Malia might encourage their interest.
Posted by: Shockolit | January 25, 2009, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
Imagine that! Black is in!!! Larry King’s son wants to be black now! I am sure that Malia’s photos are wonderful. After all of the years of being called derogatory names, being black turns out to be popular. FINALLY my son can look at President Obama and identify with himself. I can look at Michelle as a black woman, and see myself. My nieces, (who are biracial) can look at Sasha & Malia and not feel ashamed because they have “kinky hair.” (yes…their hair is kinky. It was pressed straight for the inauguration!!)We will not live as 2nd class citizens again, and we have Obama to thank for that! We can also witness a married couple who SINCERELY love and respect each other. They show affection, and appreciation for the other. It’s genuine love.Racism will always exists, but who cares now! MY PRESIDENT IS BLACK…get over it!!!
Posted by: Aminah | January 25, 2009, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
Hey “people we lost to a hypocrit”
Have them contact me. I gave a lot of my hard earned money to President Obama’s campaign. And I would give it all over again if he needs it.
As for President Obama’s daughter’s…..do your thing you sweet children. I am just as excited having Mrs. Obama and the children in the White House as I do having President Obama in the White House.
Posted by: democratic | January 25, 2009, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
Hi my name is tannya jerez i love what you were all the time it is relly cute
Posted by: tannya jerez | January 25, 2009, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
Hmmm…funny most of my post got seriously chopped up, and edited. Truth hurts I guess!!!
Posted by: Aminah | January 25, 2009, 5:50 pm 5:50 pm
There are so many hate mongers who will go to any extreme by telling lies, distorting or even ignoring the truth. President Obama is the Commander in Chief of the United States of America….get over it. Get a life haters and focus on getting your kids where the Obama girls are headed…straight for success.
Posted by: Tara | January 26, 2009, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
This story brought tears to my eyes. It is so prescious to watch the Obama girls adapt to their new digs. I love how natural they are. I can’t imagine a healthier model of how families should interact. I am a proud American and know that all the money and effort I devoted to his campaign was the best spent money of my life. God Bless America.
Posted by: Robin from Colorado | June 19, 2009, 9:37 pm 9:37 pm