Chasing Light : : Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer

Locations
Call Number: 921 Obama, Michelle, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Art / Photography / Lucidon, Amanda
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Malletts Creek Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	921 Obama, Michelle	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Art / Photography / Lucidon, Amanda	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Art / Photography / Lucidon, Amanda	4-week checkout	On Shelf

"A collection of striking and intimate photographs of Michelle Obama--many never before seen--coupled with personal reflections and behind-the-scenes stories from Official White House Photographer Amanda Lucidon, presented in a deluxe format. Michelle Obama is one of the most admired First Ladies in history, known for her grace, spirit, and beauty, as well as for the amazing work she did during her tenure to promote girls' education, combat childhood obesity, and support military families. In Chasing Light, former White House photographer Amanda Lucidon, who spent four years covering the First Lady, shares a rare insider's perspective, from documenting life at the White House to covering domestic and overseas travel. This collection of 150 candid photos--many previously unreleased--and Amanda's narrative reflections reveal just what makes Mrs. Obama so special. From an affectionate moment with her daughters atop the strikingly empty Great Wall of China to exuberant moments with schoolchildren and quiet moments between the First Lady and President Obama, the photos are a vibrant, candid, and beautiful celebration of the First Lady, capturing the qualities and strengths that have made Mrs. Obama so beloved"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Beautiful and special, but there were issues.... submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on July 21, 2018, 3:54pm I read this immediately after reading Pete Souza’s photographic memoir of Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House. I must say, while I do think that it is a beautiful and special look at this particular First Lady, I didn’t think it did as good a job as Souza’s book did of the President, for several reasons.

The organization of Chasing Light made no sense to me. Photographs appear to be taken from 2013 to 2016, although there is nowhere that you will find this stated. They are organized into four chapters titled “Inside the Bubble,” “The People’s House,” “Reach Higher,” and “A World of Possibility.” I could not find any thematic thread to the pictures within each chapter, and they definitely were not organized chronologically.

Michelle Obama is shown over and over and over with children, and most often smiling with them or hugging them. However, her own two daughters show up in only five pictures, and she is touching them in one of those pictures. I do understand that this is a book showing her as First Lady, and I certainly understand the challenge of all working women to be respected as professionals. But it was the White House photographer’s job to chronicle all aspects of the First Lady’s life, and I found this to be an interesting editorial choice.

I also thought that some of the pictures were interesting choices. There were photos included that clearly did not show the other (non-Michelle Obama) subjects in a very good light. People had their eyes closed, sat slumped in chairs, or had acne that I cannot imagine would make anyone feel good about having these pictures published in a book for the world to see. Again, some of these photos were interesting editorial choices. Were these the best that Lucidon had? Or does she not care about what the other people look like? What does that say about her as a photographer?

I like the book and am glad to have this wonderful record of a classy First Lady, but it’s definitely only 4/5 stars for me.