To mark the occasion, as I did when the President visited his 50th state, I chose one photograph from each country that we’ve visited.

Traveling abroad with the President is very different.

Often times, I am at the mercy of the host country for access. Some countries are more accommodating to me than others. I am lucky to have counterpart official photographers in many countries who are extremely helpful to me in this regard. I of course try to return the help to them when they visit the White House with their head of state.

We’re also rarely in any one country for more than a couple of days, which gives us only a partial glimpse of each place. And because of security, the sites we are able to visit are often limited too.

All that said, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to visit the Pyramids in Egypt, Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, the Great Wall in China, Petra in Jordan, and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar (Burma). (So I really shouldn’t complain too much.)

I hope you enjoy this gallery. And stay tuned — we’ll be adding a photograph from Kenya and additionally, Ethiopia, following his visit next week.

Boarding Air Force One at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, May 1, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Holding a koala before the G20 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Nov. 15, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and King Philippe in Waregem, Belgium, March 26, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Visiting the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 20, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Departing Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 20, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Waving to onlookers from the Presidential limousine near ByWard Market in Ottawa, Canada, during his first foreign trip as President, February 19, 2009.

Being escorted to Air Force One at Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, March 22, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Touring the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China on Nov. 18, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Greeting a young girl at the Plaza de San Pedro, Cartagena, Colombia, during the Summit of the Americas, April 15, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Participating in a cultural event with Costa Rican youth and President Laura Chinchilla at Casa Amarilla, San Jose, Costa Rica, May 3, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Greeting the crowd following a speech in Hradcany Square in Prague, Czech Republic, April 5, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Meeting with European leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 18, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Touring the Great Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx in Egypt on June 4, 2009. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Visiting the Metropolitan Cathedral in San Salvador, El Salvador, with Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas, President Maurico Funes of El Salvador, and their translators, March 22, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Arriving in Tallinn, Estonia, Sept. 3, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Looking at the view with the First Family from the Centre Pompidou modern art museum in Paris, France, June 7, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Talking with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany during the G7 summit in Krün, Germany, June 8, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Waving to the crowd during the departure ceremony at Accra airport in Ghana, July 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Dancing with school children and the First Lady in Mumbai, India, Nov. 7, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Touring the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, with the First Lady and Grand Imam Ali Mustafa Yaqub, Nov. 10, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Addressing U.S. troops at Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq, April 7, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Greeting people during a walk along Main Street in Moneygall, Ireland, May 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Israel, March 22, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Touring earthquake damage during the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, July 8, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Under a rainbow at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, April 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Eating green tea ice cream at the Kotoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Japan, Nov. 14, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Walking in the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, March 23, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Greeting the audience at the Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi, Kenya, July 26, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza). (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Participating in an arrival ceremony in Parliament Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 26, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Talking with Chief of Staff Jack Lew at the Esperanza Resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, June 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Going barefoot at the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon, Myanmar (Burma), Nov. 19, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Admiring Rembrandt’s “Self-portrait as the Apostle Paul” at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 24, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Dancing with the First Lady during the 2009 Nobel Banquet at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Touring the Panama Canal Miraflores Locks in Ancon, Panama, April 10, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Laying a wreath at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines, April 29, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Visiting with veterans at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, Poland, May 27, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Participating in an arrival ceremony with President Cavaco Silva at Belem National Palace in Lisbon, Portugal prior to the NATO summit, Nov. 19, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Dining with the First Family on the roof of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Moscow, Russia, July 7, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Meeting with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at Rawdat Khuraim in Saudi Arabia, March 28, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Looking through the “Door of No Return” at the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) Museum on Gorée Island, Senegal, June 27, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Socializing at the APEC summit dinner in Singapore with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nov. 14, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Visiting the prison cell of former South African President Nelson Mandela with the First Family at Robben Island Prison in Cape Town, South Africa, June 30, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Viewing the DMZ from Observation Post Ouellette at Camp Bonifas, Republic of Korea, March 25, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Visiting the Royal Palace with King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 5, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Watching performers on the tarmac at Julius Nyerre International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, July 2, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

A police officer at the Wat Pho Royal Monastery in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Performers at the Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad, April 17, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Walking with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan from Hagia Sofia to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, April 7, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Touring Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, Sept. 5, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Saying farewell to Pope Francis at the Vatican, March 27, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President was in the middle of his daily briefing on Thursday when Brian Mosteller, the director of Oval Office operations, abruptly opened the door at 10:10AM.

Knowing a series of Supreme Court decisions were pending, I instinctively switched to my camera with a telephoto lens to zoom in on the President. Brian told the President that, in a 6–3 decision, the Court upheld a critical part of the Affordable Care Act, preserving affordable coverage for millions of Americans.

For one split second, the President’s face was blank as if he was trying to comprehend the news. He then reacted in jubilation.

The President wanted to seek out some other staff members. As he walked into the Outer Oval Office, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough was waiting for him. They exchanged hugs and fist-bumps.

The briefing soon resumed until the Vice President joined the meeting. He and the President exchanged congratulations.

White House counsel Neil Eggleston and Deputy Chief of Staff Kristie Canegallo interrupted the briefing to congratulate the President and to further explain the details of the decision.

As they were talking, I noticed that the clock in the Oval Office still read 10:10am. But it was actually almost 10:30am.

So, when the briefing finally ended, I asked Denis McDonough to come back into the Oval Office and showed him the clock stuck at 10:10am. I then showed him the back of my camera, where he could see the photo of the President first being told about the decision. The camera time read 10:10am.

What a coincidence on a historic day.

It was amid a whirlwind day in France for President Obama — and for me. We’d had an event with U.S. embassy personnel in Paris; a flight on Air Force One from Paris to Caen; a state visit with then-President Sarkozy; a picturesque helicopter ride into Normandy; the 65th anniversary of D-Day; a helicopter, then a plane ride back to Paris; and finally a tour with the Obama family at the Cathedral de Notre Dame. The President and First Lady greeted hundreds of people that day, including a small group of Army Rangers in Normandy.

Eight months later, I accompanied the President as he made his regular quarterly trip to visit wounded warriors at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda. The 10th patient he visited that day did not at all look familiar to me. The patient, an Army Ranger, had suffered a severe brain injury caused by a roadside explosion in Afghanistan.

His name was Cory Remsburg.

The name didn’t register with me. The President was told that he had previously met Cory in Normandy. As the President leaned over to talk with him, it wasn’t clear that Cory could understand what the President was saying to him.

Cory’s family asked the President if he could sign a photograph hanging on the wall. And there it was: a photograph that I had taken that day, eight months ago, of Army Ranger Cory Remsburg firmly shaking the hand of the President. “God bless…” the President began his inscription on the photo.

I had seen many wounded warriors injured in Iraq or Afghanistan during my many visits with the President. Some had suffered severe head or eye injuries. Others had lost an arm or leg. But I had never photographed any of these patients before their injuries. That changed with Cory.

The contrast between the two photographs was almost too much to bear:

A strong, healthy Cory Remsburg shaking hands with the President in 2009, and a severely injured Cory Remsburg, partially paralyzed with dozens of stitches across the entire right side of his skull, less than a year later.

I was visibly shaken when I left the National Naval Medical Center that day. I wondered whether Cory Remsburg would be able to fully function again.

Three years later, I photographed my answer.

The President was scheduled to deliver remarks at a high school in Phoenix. Waiting backstage in a fluorescent-lit classroom was Cory Remsburg. When the President finished his speech, he stopped by the classroom to visit Cory and his family. I was astonished when Cory stood up from his wheelchair, grasped his walker, and began to walk across the room.

The President told Cory’s story at the Disabled American Veterans Convention in August 2013. And soon thereafter, the New York Times also wanted to tell Cory’s story. We were asked to provide photographs from the President’s first greet with Cory in Normandy, from the hospital visit at Bethesda, and from the backstage walk in Phoenix. I was ambivalent about releasing the photograph of the President with Cory in the hospital — it was, after all, our policy not to release photographs of the President meeting with wounded warriors at the hospital. So I contacted Craig Remsburg, Cory’s father, to make sure he would be okay with us making an exception. Craig responded that he had discussed this directly with Cory, and that Cory wanted us to release the photographs to the New York Times, including the one from the hospital. During the next year, other organizations ran stories on Cory. Each time, I would double-check with Craig that Cory would be comfortable with our releasing the same photographs.

Then in 2014, Cory and his father sat next to FIrst Lady Michelle Obama at the President’s State of the Union Address. Both Democrats and Republicans stood as one to applaud Cory as the President paid tribute once again to Cory.

As I was drafting the language for this post, I asked Cory, through Craig, why he had decided to allow us to release the photograph of himself in the hospital — severely injured, with perhaps a hundred stitches in his head.

“As part of my recovery, this picture depicted the seriousness of injuries sustained during both wars,” Cory said.

Clearly, he wasn’t just talking about himself. He’s aware that he is speaking for all wounded warriors.

A few months ago, when the President was in Phoenix to speak on Veterans Affairs, his motorcade took an unscheduled detour to Gilbert, Arizona — a suburb of Phoenix. Waiting out front of his newly remodeled home was Cory Remsburg and his dad, Craig. As the President reached out to shake his hand, Cory’s face was beaming.

Cory invited the President inside to tour his new home. They sat at the kitchen table and chatted for a few minutes. Then the President, Cory, and Craig walked to the backyard to pay tribute to the volunteers who had helped to remodel the house.

“How surreal was this for POTUS to take the time to visit me during his schedule in Phoenix,” Cory said to me afterwards. “Very sweet for a visitor like that.”

Later, back on Air Force One, I remarked to the President that I had shaken hands with Cory and was surprised at how firm his handshake was. But I guess I shouldn’t have been. It was a handshake befitting a Sergeant First Class Army Ranger.

June 6, 2009

June 6, 2009: President Obama greets Cory Remsburg and other Army Rangers in Normandy. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

February 28, 2010

Feb. 28, 2010: President Obama visits Cory Remsburg at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Feb. 28, 2010: The President signs a photo for Cory from their Normandy greeting. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

August 6, 2013

Aug. 6, 2013: Cory walks across a classroom as the President watches in Arizona. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

January 28, 2014

Jan. 28, 2014: Cory reacts after the President paid tribute to him during the State of the Union Address. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Jan. 28, 2014: Cory, with his father Craig, gives a Ranger Challenge Coin to the President following his State of the Union address. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

June 6, 2014

June 6, 2014: The President greets Cory and his father Craig and U.S. WWII veterans prior to the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

June 6, 2014: Cory reacts while being applauded by his father Craig, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, as the President again paid tribute to Cory. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

March 13, 2015

March 13, 2015: Cory and his father greet the President at Cory's newly finished home in Gilbert, Ariz. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

March 13, 2015: President Obama visits with Cory and his family at the kitchen table. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

March 13, 2015: The President, Cory and his father Craig greet neighbors, volunteers and donors in the backyard of his home, which was purchased by the Army Ranger Lead the Way Fund and renovated with the help of Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

My staff and I have been photographing her since Inauguration Day, and as the following photographs clearly show, she’s been hugging people nonstop since Day 1. Whether it’s a school child, a family member in peril, a surprised tourist, or even a famous person, the First Lady greets them with a hug.

“I’ve always been a big hugger–that’s just how I am–and it’s always my first instinct when I meet someone,” the First Lady told me.

“Hugging is how I connect to people–how I show warmth and make folks feel at home.”

Although I mostly photograph the President, I’m occasionally near the First Lady when she’s greeting people with a hug. I love to watch the reaction of people on the receiving end of her hugs. There are usually lots of smiles and sometimes tears of joy.

“I think it puts folks at ease and shows them that while I might happen to have a fancy title, I’m just Michelle,” she said.

“I’m myself–and I want to know who they are, I want them to feel comfortable telling me their story.”

So, I hope you enjoy this set of photographs from my staff and I during the past six plus years. I’m sure there will be many more hug photos to come.

I hope you enjoy this gallery. And stay tuned -- we’ll be adding a photograph from South Dakota following his visit there on Friday.

Alabama, March 7, 2015. Marching at the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Alaska. Nov 12, 2009. Air Force One refueling at Elmendorf Air Force Base. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Arizona, Aug. 16, 2009. Viewing the Grand Canyon. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Arkansas. May 7, 2014. Touring tornado damage in Vilonia. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

California, July 23, 2014. Viewing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Colorado, July 8, 2014. Playing pool with Gov. John Hickenlooper in Denver. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Connecticut, Dec. 16, 2012. Making last-minute edits to his speech in Newtown, before a vigil for those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Delaware, Oct. 29, 2009. Honoring fallen soldiers from Afghanistan at Dover Air Force Base. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Florida, April 22, 2015. Keeping his distance from a baby alligator on Earth Day at Everglades National Park. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Georgia, May 19, 2013. Graduates cheering the President during a heavy downpour at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Hawaii, Jan. 1, 2012. Swimming at Pyramid Rock Beach in Kaneohe Bay. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Idaho, Jan. 21, 2015. Posing for a photo with kids at Boise Airport. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Illinois, Jan. 11, 2012. Viewing Chicago at sunset from Marine One. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Indiana, Nov. 23, 2010. Dropping by the Gingerbread House Bakery in Kokomo with the Vice President. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Iowa, Sept. 2012. Speaking at a grassroots campaign event at Living History Farms in Urbandale. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Kansas, Dec. 6, 2011. Waving to Kansans after his economic speech in Osawatomie. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Kentucky, May 6, 2011. Greeting troops with the Vice President at Fort Campbell. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Louisiana, June 4, 2010. Flying over the Gulf of Mexico from Grand Isle to New Orleans after the BP oil spill. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Maine, July 16, 2010. Hiking with the family on Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Maryland, May 22, 2009. Graduates celebrating at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Massachusetts, Aug. 14, 2014. Discussing the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, while on vacation in Martha's Vineyard. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Michigan, April 18, 2012. Sitting on the famed Rosa Parks bus at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Minnesota, June 26, 2014. Talking with letter writer Rebekah Erler at Matt's Bar in Minneapolis. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Mississippi, June 14, 2010. Meeting on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, at the Gulfport Coast Guard Station. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Missouri, May 29, 2011. Consoling families affected by the deadly tornadoes in Joplin. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Montana, Aug. 14, 2009. Fly fishing near Bozeman. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Nebraska, Aug. 13, 2012. Greeting military personnel at Offutt Air Force Base. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Nevada, Oct. 2, 2012. Viewing the Hoover Dam. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

New Hampshire, Sept. 7, 2012. Joking with the Vice President Joe Biden before a campaign rally in Portsmouth. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

New Jersey, May 28, 2013. Highlighting the opening of the Point Pleasant boardwalk with Gov. Chris Christie and his family following Hurricane Sandy's devastation the previous September. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

New Mexico, Sept. 28, 2010. Having lemonade with Andy and Etta Cavalier at their home in Albuquerque. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

New York, Sept. 11, 2011. Greeting families, with former President and Mrs. Bush, prior to a commemoration ceremony on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacksPresident and Mrs. Obama. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

North Carolina, Oct. 17, 2011. Listening to the President's remarks in Millers Creek. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

North Dakota, June 13, 2014. Greeting a young boy during a Flag Day celebration at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Reservation in Cannon Ball. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Ohio, May 18, 2010. Greeting workers during a shift change at V&M Star, a manufacturer of steel products, in Youngstown. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Oklahoma, May 26, 2013. Hugging Amy Simpson, principal of Plaza Towers Elementary School, while viewing the remains of the school following a devastating tornado in Moore. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Oregon, July 24, 2012. Reacting to a quip from a patron at the Gateway Breakfast House in Portland. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Pennsylvania, Oct. 10, 2010. The crowd at a rally in Philadelphia. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Rhode Island, Aug. 29, 2014. Viewing the ocean at Brenton Point in Newport. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

South Carolina, March 6, 2015. Reacting to an enthusiastic greeter at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

South Dakota, 2015. Showing off the note given to him in Watertown by Rebecca Kelley, who had written him a letter asking him to visit the state. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Tennessee, May 16, 2011. Shaking hands with Booker T. Washington students before their commencement ceremony in Memphis. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Texas, Aug. 9, 2010. Trying on a pair of cowboy boots at the University of Texas in Austin. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Utah, April 3, 2015. Viewing solar panels at Hill Air Force Base. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Vermont, March 30, 2012. Greeting the crowd in Burlington. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Virginia, July 14, 2012. Speaking during a rainstorm in Glen Allen. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Washington, Nov. 25, 2013. Departing Seattle on a foggy morning. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

West Virginia, June 28, 2010. Celebrating the life of Sen. Robert C. Byrd, with the Vice President and former President Clinton, at a memorial service in Charleston. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Wisconsin, Sept. 28, 2010. Cheering with the La Follette Lancers football team during their practice in Madison. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Wyoming, Aug. 15, 2009. Watching geysers with the family at Yellowstone National Park. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

Every once in a while, you also just get very lucky. Such was the case last week, when a rainbow came along just as the President’s helicopter was arriving at the airport in Kingston, Jamaica, where he would board Air Force One for the flight to Panama. Fortunately, I was manifested aboard the second helicopter–which always arrives before Marine One–giving me a few minutes to prepare for photographing the rainbow.

In the first photograph, I framed the rainbow above Marine One as the President disembarked the helicopter.

Kingston, Jamaica, April 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In the second photograph, Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller gestures towards the rainbow as she and others bid farewell to the President.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

My colleague Amanda Lucidon had already positioned herself toward the back of Air Force One to frame the President ascending the stairs with the rainbow overhead.

(Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Both Amanda and I did what we could, with what we had, where we were. Now I had to choose the best photograph for our Photo of the Day. But photography is very subjective—especially when it comes to choosing which photograph is the “best.”

(Official Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Meanwhile, after photographing the departure greets, I ran under the wing of the plane to try and line up where the President would be when he waved goodbye at the top of the stairs.

President Barack Obama boards Air Force One at Norman Manley International Airport prior to departure from Kingston, Jamaica en route to Panama City, Panama, April 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

There were three final selects to choose from. I liked Amanda’s photograph of the President ascending the stairs, especially because the President was still lit by the sunlight. I thought my photograph of the President with Prime Minister Simpson-Miller had a more Jamaican feel to it, with the bright colors and dramatic clouds overhead. And I guessed right where the President would land when he waved, with his right hand framed right in the middle of the rainbow. But the sun was no longer illuminating the President, so it was more of a semi-silhouette.

I thought the wave photograph was more graphic and, in the end, the best one. But I wasn’t sure. So I sent the three selects to Press Secretary Josh Earnest for his opinion. He agreed that he thought the wave photograph was the best.

I think that was the right choice, but again—photography is subjective, so I’m curious to see what others think.

What do you think? Leave a comment on Medium or let me know on Twitter at @PeteSouza, which photograph is your favorite. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

I was a young boy growing up in Massachusetts at the time, and I can’t say that I was aware of what was happening in Selma. I didn’t know the marchers were attacked at the bridge with billy clubs and tear gas. I didn’t know that there was this much hatred in the South between blacks and whites.

In later years, as I became interested in photojournalism, it was the photographs that brought that awful day to life for me.

I came to admire the photographs, especially of Charles Moore — a photojournalist who was documenting civil rights for Life magazine. I probably learned more about what had happened on that day and that period of time by studying his photographs than I did in any history class I ever had in school. For me, the photographs depicted the horror and the hatred in a way that words couldn’t.

Last Saturday, as I accompanied the Obama family to Selma for the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, I couldn’t help but think of the photographs taken by Charles Moore and other brave photojournalists 50 years ago. Their photographs, taken ostensibly for daily and weekly publications, have now become powerful images for history.

Their frozen moments in time are with us forever.

Last Saturday, my job was much easier. There were no billy clubs or tear gas. Along with colleague Lawrence Jackson, I was there to also capture moments in time for history. But these were symbolic and celebratory moments.

John Lewis, 50 years later, was not being clubbed at the bridge; he was there as a Congressman from Georgia, introducing the President of the United States. Activist Amelia Boynton Robinson was not being knocked unconscious by a state trooper; as a 103-year-old, she was there in her wheelchair, marching across that same bridge next to the President and First Lady.

These were just two of the dozens of foot soldiers in attendance who had marched that day 50 years ago and helped changed the course of history. Without them, it’s unlikely that I would have been there documenting my boss, Barack Obama — the first African-American to become President of the United States.

It is perhaps fitting that we’ve chosen a gallery on the 50th anniversary of that day in Selma to kick off a new way of presenting photographs. In the weeks and months to come, we’ll regularly post galleries like this — providing a different perspective on life here at the White House or on the road. Sometimes it will be a series of thematic images. Other times, it might just be a single photo with a great story behind it. Take a look, and check back for more.

Aboard Air Force One en route to Alabama, President Obama signs H.R. 432 authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal to the "Foot Soldiers" who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March during March of 1965. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In Selma, the President greets former foot soldier Amelia Boynton Robinson, 103 years old, backstage before the ceremony. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President speaks to the foot soldiers who attended the 50th anniversary event. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President hugs Yolanda Renee King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., as her parents, Martin Luther King III and Andrea Waters look on. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President and First Lady hold hands as they listen to Rep. John Lewis speak at the ceremony. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Members of the audience listen to Rep. John Lewis. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President hugs Rep. John Lewis after his introduction. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama delivers remarks at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Tens of thousands of people attended the ceremony. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

A Secret Service officer stands post as the President speaks. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Malia and Sasha Obama and other family, friends, and White House staff listen to the President. Attorney General Eric Holder is at far left. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President points towards the bridge during his speech. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Rep. John Lewis holds hands with President Obama during a prayer at the ceremony. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush participated in the program. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President greets members of the audience following his remarks. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

First Lady Michelle Obama adjusts the bow in the hair of a young girl. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President greets a youngster in the crowd. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President waves to the crowd. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Backstage, former President Bush talks with Sasha and Malia Obama and Marian Robinson. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Obama family join hands as they begin the march with the foot soldiers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

The march continues across the bridge. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Obamas and the Bushes continue across the bridge. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

The Obama family and Attorney General Eric Holder and his family listen to tour guide Felecia Pettway at the National Voting Rights Museum. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Obama family inspects a voting machine at the museum. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President stands inside a replica prison cell at the museum. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

CBS-TV reporter Bill Plante, who covered "Bloody Sunday" 50 years ago, interviews the President at the museum. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President, First Lady, Marian Robinson, and Malia board Air Force One at Maxwell Air Force Base en route back to Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

See More from Selma:

• Watch the President's speech on the 50th Anniversary of the marches from Selma to Montgomery.
• View original documents from President Lyndon Johnson and the White House written in response to Bloody Sunday.
• Hear stories from foot soldiers who marched across the bridge that day 50 years ago.

Pete Souza is Director of the White House Photo Office and Chief Official White House Photographer

For more behind-the-scenes White House Photographs, follow Pete Souza on Instagram & Twitter

 Check out the photostream:

People cheer as President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are introduced during an Irish celebration at College Green in Dublin, Ireland, May 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama leave the stage with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and his wife, Fionnuala Kenny, during an Irish celebration at College Green in Dublin, Ireland, May 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet people as they walk along Main Street in Moneygall, Ireland, May 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

We’ve just posted a new series of behind-the-scenes photographs from the last two weeks of April. Many elements go into the making of a successful photograph. A good moment, interesting composition, nice light, etc. 

This photograph (below) was unusual in that I framed the composition ahead of time and waited for the President to walk into the frame. After the President’s helicopter had landed in Los Angeles, I anticipated the direction he would walk to his car in the motorcade. Lighting sometimes is the key element in a successful photograph.

President Barack Obama walks to the motorcade from Marine One after arriving at the Barrington Recreation Center landing zone in Los Angeles, Calif., April 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This photograph (below) was taken in a hallway at a Chicago hotel. The President had a briefing with Press Secretary Jay Carney and Senior Advisor David Plouffe. The hallway was very dimly lit, but the President happened to sit underneath the overhead light, illuminating just his face.

President Barack Obama meets with Press Secretary Jay Carney, left, and Senior Advisor David Plouffe, center, before an interview with Ben Feller of the Associated Press, in Chicago, Ill., April 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Pete Souza is Chief Official White House Photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office.

Today, we're posting 85 new behind-the-scenes photographs from March on our Flickr photostream. One of my favorite pictures of the month is from our visit one night to Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We almost didn't go because of the inclement weather. But when we got word that the clouds had broken, the President, First Lady, and their two daughters decided to go. While it was clear when we first arrived, some clouds and fog soon rolled in creating this surreal scene. That's the President in the middle, with the First Lady at right, senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, at left, and the Obama daughters in the background. 

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia, tour the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. March 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Pete Souza is Chief Official White House Photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office

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Pete Souza is Chief Official White House Photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office

The President makes a lot of phone calls from the Oval Office, including this one to Jalal Talabani of Iraq. Because the Vice President and others were also in the office, I wanted to include them in my frame. The Vice President kept moving about the Oval Office throughout the phone call and thus I was constantly changing my angle to keep him in the background. There were many photographs to choose from, but this seemed to be the best one because of the framing: the Vice President looking out the window in the background and his national security advisor, Tony Blinken, looking towards the President as he spoke on the phone.

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with President Jalal Talabani of Iraq while Vice President Joe Biden, his National Security Advisor Tony Blinken, and Puneet Talwar, Senior Director for Iraq, Iran and the Gulf States wait nearby in the Oval Office, Nov. 4, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) (Official White House Photo)

The majority of the photographs presented in the Flickr photostream are from behind-the-situations that only I have access to. This picture falls into the category where press photographers were present but I had a different angle than they did. Since I was much closer to the President than the press photographers, I was able to use a wider lens and incorporate more in the background. I framed it purposely to include the Japanese writings and signs, and caught a moment as the President–with his green tea ice-cream bar in hand–leaned into the woman who had just given him a tour of the Great Buddha.

President Barack Obama eats a green tea ice cream bar during his visit to the Great Buddha of Kamakura at the Kotoku-in Temple in Kamakura, Japan, Nov. 14, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 You can see the rest of the photostream below.

A year ago, my photo editors suggested we start posting a "Photo of the Day" (POD) on the White House website. The idea was to show pictures that viewers do not see anywhere else: behind-the-scenes images of the President and other aspects of life at the White House. (Visit WhiteHouse.gov/Photos for the latest Photo of the Day galleries.)

In the past year, we have selected a new POD at least five days a week (weekend postings depend on the President’s activities). The most popular pictures are ones involving fun moments with the President, or pictures of the family dog, Bo. But, given my extraordinary access, we also try to show the President doing what he spends most of his time doing: running the country.

I chose the following ten pictures to represent the past year of POD’s. They are not necessarily the “best” ten, but are ones that show the variety of situations we have to choose from.

President Barack Obama leaves a presidential coin at the gravesite of 19-year-old Medal of Honor recipient, Specialist Ross McGinnis, who is one of two Medal of Honor recipients memorialized at Arlington Cemetery from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The President was at Arlington Cemetery to give Veterans Day remarks, November 11, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama meets with members of his Cabinet in the Cabinet Room of the White House, January 29, 2010. The President’s chair is marked with a plaque engraved with the date of his inauguration. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama greets a young visitor in the Oval Office, February 5, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Snow blankets the White House grounds during a blizzard, February 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and senior staff, react in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, as the House passes the health care reform bill, March 21, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama greets workers during a shift change at V&M Star, a manufacturer of steel products, in Youngstown, Ohio, May 18, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s hands rest on the railing of a boat during their tour of St. Andrews Bay in Panama City Beach, Fla., August 15, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama throws a ball for Bo, the family dog, in the Rose Garden of the White House, September 9, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

First Lady Michelle Obama curtsies with Lynne Silosky, a niece of posthumous Medal of Honor awardee, Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller, October 6, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama boards Air Force One at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, October 11, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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Pete Souza is Chief Official White House Photographer.