Eric Draper Explained

Eric Draper
Office:Chief Official White House Photographer
Term Start:January 20, 2001
Term End:January 20, 2009
President:George W. Bush
Predecessor:Sharon Farmer
Successor:Pete Souza
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation:Photojournalist

Eric Draper is an American news photographer who also worked as the White House photo director and personal photographer for U.S. President George W. Bush.[1]

Biography and career

Born and raised in Los Angeles,[2] Draper worked for the Associated Press as a news photographer prior to joining the White House. His assignments included the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns, the 2000 Summer Olympics[3] in Sydney, Australia, the Kosovo conflict[4] in 1999 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup[5] in France.

Over the years, Draper has also worked as a staff photographer for The Seattle Times, the Pasadena Star-News and the Albuquerque Tribune.[6]

Draper is a graduate of Cerritos College[7] and California State University, Long Beach.[8]

Awards

Draper won the Associated Press Managing Editors' Award for three consecutive years, the 1999 National Headliner Award and was named 1992 Photographer of the Year by Scripps-Howard Newspapers for "Seeing Through the Flames", which was his coverage of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.[9]

Books

In April 2013, Draper released his collection of White House photos in Front Row Seat: A Photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush. The book presents a behind-the-scenes view of the Bush presidency through Draper's photographs, from Bush's everyday moments to historically significant scenes of crisis, most especially September 11, 2001. Time LightBox said, "Draper's portrait of Bush is authentic."[10] The Washington Post noted, "Draper's book provides a unique and intimate look into his relationship with former President George W. Bush over eight dramatic years that changed America."[11]

Personal

Draper lives in New Mexico where is now an independent political, corporate and editorial photographer. He lives with his wife and two dogs, and is a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: White House Photo Director Eric Draper. georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. November 17, 2015.
  2. Web site: June 24, 2013. An Interview with Eric Draper, George W. Bush's Presidential Photographer. February 19, 2021. PetaPixel.
  3. Web site: SLAM! Sports: 2000 Summer Games Photo Gallery. https://web.archive.org/web/20010222150146/http://www.canoe.com/2000GamesGallerySep23/swimming5.html. dead. February 22, 2001. www.canoe.com. November 11, 2015.
  4. Web site: Kosovo refugees wait for vaccinations at a Macedonian camp. chicagotribune.com. November 11, 2015.
  5. Web site: SLAM! Photo gallery. www.canoe.com. November 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119161843/http://www.canoe.com/SoccerWCGallery/jun30_3.html. November 19, 2015. dead.
  6. Web site: White House Photo Director Eric Draper. georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. November 12, 2015.
  7. Web site: Cerritos College - Cerritos College News Release March 2014. cms.cerritos.edu. November 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119182227/http://cms.cerritos.edu/releases-2014/03/hof.htm. November 19, 2015. dead.
  8. Web site: College of Liberal Arts, CSULB » Blog Archive » Alumni Event: An Evening with Eric Draper, White House photographer and CSULB Journalism alum. www.cla.csulb.edu. November 11, 2015.
  9. Web site: Photo Editors Who Made a Difference. Lens Blog. . November 12, 2015.
  10. Front Row Seat: Eric Draper on George W. Bush. . November 12, 2015. Massimo. Calabresi.
  11. News: "Front Row Seat: A photographic Portrait of the Presidency of George W. Bush" by Eric Draper. The Washington Post. April 25, 2013. November 17, 2015. 0190-8286. en-US. Nathaniel. Grann.