Barack Before Obama

November 9, 2020
Photographer Katz chronicles the career of Barack Obama from 2004 to 2008 in this remarkable photo collection. His pragmatic approach to photography (“Pictures come alive when your subjects are so comfortable with you that they do not even notice you,” he writes) is evidenced in photos of Obama casually strolling through Central Park or sharing a laugh with his wife and daughters. In documenting Obama’s activities on the campaign trail, Katz captures the energy of a small crowd behind a house in Southern Illinois and a gigantic rally held during a heavy rainstorm in Virginia. Stunning crowd shots and photos of the grassroots campaign make clear the sheer number of individuals who were inspired by Obama’s message. A poignant anecdote by speechwriter Jon Favreau recalls him working with Obama on a speech for the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “He choked up, went to the bathroom to compose himself. When he returned, he told us that it finally hit him that he was going to be the first African American nominee of the party.” This historic collection captures the transformation of Barack Obama from hopeful candidate to 44th president of the United States.

Starred review from October 1, 2020
An appealing pictorial biography of the pre-presidential Barack Obama. In early 2004, Katz joined Obama's senatorial campaign as a volunteer driver and then photographer and aide. In this well-rendered photographic celebration, he shows the trajectory of Obama from state politician to leader of the free world. The photos are all high quality and cover a vast range of moments, from Obama getting his haircut by his longtime barber near Hyde Park to the presidential hopeful in tears when he learned, two days before the 2008 election, that the grandmother who raised him had just died. Throughout, Katz emphasizes his theme of the "many small moments in Obama's life when his political career was just gaining traction." It all began when the budding photographer decided that the unknown Obama needed "more compelling" pictures on his website. The campaign had only 10 staffers and couldn't pay Katz, but they offered him a volunteer position. So he spent 10 months driving the candidate around the state before becoming his personal aide. Alongside the photos, the author offers illuminating commentary--on the role of the Secret Service, Michelle's take, the Al Smith dinner, a rally with Bruce Springsteen--and it's interesting to consider how Katz designed the layout. He made the wise choice to group together many shots, so we have a set with Stevie Wonder and Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey, George Soros, Nelson Mandela, the Bidens, and Leonardo DiCaprio, among many others. Along the way, readers will learn how politicians rise as they connect with celebrities and funders, and the narrative is packed with entertaining vignettes. For example, Oprah didn't think the Obamas' Chicago apartment was the right setting for O, The Oprah Magazine, so she took the shoot outdoors. The book also features a foreword by Obama himself. A brilliantly photographed tribute to the rise of the 44th president.

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November 1, 2020
This lively book of photographs documents Barack Obama's political life in 2004, when photographer Katz, fresh out of college, joined Obama's U.S. Senate campaign, and in 2008, when Obama ran for and won the presidency. Though most of the never-before-seen images are from fundraisers, rallies, debates, and conventions, they capture quiet moments of intimacy, reflection, and joy: the future president with his three-year-old daughter on his hip during a 2004 photo shoot, laughing with wife Michelle backstage at the 2004 DNC, greeting Joe Biden with a hug and a smile as rain pours down on them at a 2008 rally. Katz's pictures are professional but casual, betraying his unique relationship with his subject: Katz was a political photographer but also Obama's personal aide, driving Obama across Illinois during the campaign for Senate. That closeness is evident in the funny faces Sasha and Malia make for Katz's camera, and it allows views of Obama on and off stage. Whether gearing up for a speech, playing basketball, or sitting with his family in an RV, Obama looks presidential in them all.

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