Prepare for the deluge of coffee table books that have the words “Barack Obama” on their front cover in 2009. Just as ridiculous as some of the memorabilia that have our new President’s visage stamped to it, I cannot wait to see what publishers will think up to cash in on our first African-American President. Quick to the plate are three publishers with a solid product.
HarperCollins presents Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs, edited by Dr. Deborah Willis with an essay from Kevin Mirada of the Washington Post. Willis is a professor of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She pulled together images from various sources: from professional photojournalists to students on cell phone cams at the various rallies. The result is a well-orchestrated, somewhat familiar, visual ride through the man’s campaign.
Powerhouse Books presents Yes We Can, shot by award-winning photograher Scout Tufankjian. Noted to be the only photographer to have followed Obama from the very beginning of the campaign to its victorious end, the book is a very personal view of the man and his inspirational effect on the people around him.
Triumph Books offers a little bit more with The Rise of Barack Obama, shot by Pete Souza, covering Obama from his first day in the US Senate through the Pennsylvania primary. Souza, the official photographer for former President Reagan, has accompanied Obama to seven different countries including Russia, Kenya and South Africa. Alongside the images, many unpublished, Souza includes personal notes from that moment to lend an added depth.
