Chasing Light: Michelle Obama Through the Eyes of a White House Photographer
By Amanda Lucidon
(222 pages, nonfiction, 2017)
Chasing Light is a beautiful, inspirational photographic retrospective of Michelle Obama’s role as First Lady of the United States. The book is brief on text but contains over 150 gorgeous images captured by White House photographer Amanda Lucidon — many of which had never been publicized before this book. From 2013 to 2017, Lucidon was one of five official White House photographers that shadowed the president, first lady, and vice president to document their day-to-day accomplishments for posterity. She was the only female White House photographer on staff during the Obama administration, and one of few women, historically, to fill the role at all. It seems fitting, then, that Lucidon should have been positioned to document the tenure of this groundbreaking First Lady.
“Although [Obama’s Presidency] was a difficult time for our country,” writes Lucidon, “it was important to show the world that we are resilient. Even in our darkest times, Mrs. Obama was a shining beacon of light and hope.” That feeling of lightness and grace is particularly striking in Lucidon’s candid shots of Mrs. Obama: gardening with scouts, attending a student recital or poetry reading, sneaking a quick hug from her husband — even sitting on the White House floor with Mrs. Akie Abe, wife of the Prime Minister of Japan, for an impromptu romp with the presidential dogs, Bo and Sunny. It’s in these off-the-cuff moments that we glimpse the soul behind this towering public figure. Whether attending a state dinner with foreign dignitaries, snapping red-carpet selfies with celebrities, or encouraging young Americans to get healthy and stay in school, Mrs. Obama clearly relished her position as a role model and advocate for all Americans.
If I had to sum up the aura of this book in a single adjective, it would be “genuine.” Seeing Michelle and Barack Obama twisting their hands into “monster claws” while reading Where the Wild Things Are on the White House lawn, it’s nearly impossible not to smile yourself. Try not to get too misty-eyed witnessing the smiles and tears of joy from Americans of all colors, ages, and backgrounds, as they meet the First Lady and maybe even begin to recognize their own potential. This is not a studious book. It won’t teach you dates or facts, or even much about the “official” aspects of the role of First Lady. This book’s strength is in reminding us that all icons in history are, at the heart of it, people. Following the Presidency through Lucidon’s camera lens gives us a strikingly intimate glimpse of Michelle Obama’s humanity. What she captured in a moment may now live in our hearts for a lifetime.
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Faithe Miller Lakowicz
