What is in the pocket of the White House photographer?

Pete Souza is a former White House photographer under President Barrack Obama, who is behind the lens of many photos showing viewers the daily life and work of the country’s first black president. America.

One of his most famous photographs captures the scene at the Situation Room the day the US attacked the Pakistani base to take out Osama Bin Laden. With just a single frame, we can see the tension of the president and his colleagues in these historic moments.

A lot of people have been asking the question: what did this photographer use to photograph in the White House? Mr. Souza had a full answer through an 11-minute video shared on his personal Instagram page. Before listing his devices, he also shared:

“Photography is essentially just tools, just like screwdriver. It doesn’t matter which camera or lens you use, it is important how you use them.”

During the White House operation, this photographer used 2 Canon 5D cameras simultaneously (with the latest version is 5D Mark IV) and 3 non-zoom lenses (Prime) of 35mm f / 1.4L, 50mm f / 1.2L and 135mm f / 2.0L along with a small flash for backlit photography.

In cases where outdoor photography is needed, he will switch over to a zoom lens with a 24 – 70 f / 2.8L and 70 – 200 f / 2.8L. Although there are many different lenses, he shared that the most used lens is 35mm f / 1.4L because this is an easy-to-use focal length, with a large aperture that helps shoot in low light.

After leaving the White House, he also bought a Fujifilm X-Pro 2 camera with a 23mm f / 1.4 lens, giving the same angle of view as the 35mm lens on a full-frame camera. He uses this camera in situations where absolute silence is needed, as this is a mirrorless camera and can be shot with an electronic shutter.

Before the end of the video, Mr. Pete Souza also reminded everyone to take care of their health, wash their hands regularly and implement social isolation so that they can continue to create photography in the future!