Through his camera lens, Doug Mills has seen it all: George H.W. Bush playing horseshoes. An emotional Barack Obama. A shirtless Bill Clinton. And he’s shared what he’s seen with the world.
Mr. Mills, a veteran photographer, has captured pictures of every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan. His portfolio includes images of intimate conversations, powerful podium moments and scenes now seared into the American consciousness — like the face of President George W. Bush, realizing that America was under attack while he was reading to schoolchildren.
Mr. Mills began his photography career at United Press International before joining The Associated Press. Then, in 2002, he was hired at The New York Times, where his latest assignment has been trailing former President Donald J. Trump. In July, Mr. Mills captured the moment a bullet flew past Mr. Trump’s head at a rally in Butler, Pa., and then a photo of Mr. Trump, ear bloodied, raising his fist.
Over the past four decades, cameras and other tools have changed the job considerably, he said. While he once used 35mm SLR film cameras (what photographers used for decades), he now travels with multiple Sony mirrorless digital cameras, which are silent and can shoot at least 20 frames per second. He used to lug around portable dark rooms; now he can transmit images to anywhere in the world directly from his camera, via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable, in a matter of seconds.
But it’s not just the technology that has changed. Campaigns are more image-driven than ever before, he said, thanks to social media, TV ads and coverage that spans multiple platforms. Not to mention, it’s a nonstop, 24-hour news cycle. He likens covering an election year to a monthslong Super Bowl.
“It consumes your life, but I love it,” Mr. Mills said. “I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”
Mr. Mills, who on election night will be with Mr. Trump at a watch party in Palm Beach, Fla., shared how one image of each president he’s photographed throughout his career came together. — Megan DiTrolio
Nov. 8, 1988. This image was taken on election night or in the early hours of the next morning, as President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, watched as early results arrived in the presidential race between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis. The first thing you might notice is the size of their TV. We were upstairs in the White House in the Reagans’ private quarters. It was a unique photography opportunity — not to mention, my first time photographing a president in his private residence. This is not something we would ever do now, because elections have turned to a different format. Now, presidents are surrounded by advisers — this was much more low-key.
June 7, 1991. President Bush was a huge fan of horseshoes, though you didn’t see him playing too often. The pit, which he added in 1989, was just steps from the Oval Office. Mr. Bush had challenged members of the military, specifically those involved in Operation Desert Storm, to a tournament. You can see troops by the private swimming pool, as well as reporters. Mr. Bush and his son Marvin were victorious in each match. I was fortunate enough to play horseshoes with the president a number of times, in that same pit.
July 11, 1993. The Clinton family was on a family vacation on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, and a group of photographers had tagged along. I was walking around the Kahala Hilton hotel when I saw President Bill Clinton playing Frisbee (I can’t remember whom he was throwing it to) and swimming with his daughter, Chelsea, left, and her friend. I asked one of the agents if I could take a picture; he said I couldn’t take one from where I was standing, but I could do so from the sand of the public beach. This picture ended up on a lot of front pages — and it was also the only time I’ve ever photographed a president shirtless. About a day later, there was a huge flood in Iowa, so, of course, this picture turned into a moment. On the way home, we stopped in Iowa, where Mr. Clinton helped fill sandbags.
Sept. 11, 2001. This was one of the most remarkable days of my career. At a visit to Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla., President George W. Bush’s chief of staff, Andrew Card, whispered into his ear to inform him of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. At the time, I didn’t know what Mr. Card had said. I found out days later, after I asked him: Mr. President, he said, “a second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.” I was with The A.P. at the time, and joined Mr. Bush on Air Force One as he left Florida. In the following days, I traveled with Mr. Bush to ground zero.
Jan. 5, 2016. Here, in the East Room of the White House, President Barack Obama was announcing executive actions intended to expand background checks for some firearm purchases and step up federal enforcement of the nation’s gun laws. He grew emotional while speaking about the people, including children, who had died from countless and senseless gun attacks. I had not seen Mr. Obama cry; when the president was crying, everyone else in the room was, too. It was a remarkable moment. The next time I saw Mr. Obama cry was at his last campaign spot for his second term.
Aug. 28, 2020. Here, you can see President Trump getting off Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, following a campaign rally in Londonderry, N.H. A light rain was falling, and this bolt of lightning streaked across the sky just as I was photographing Mr. Trump. I had a tighter lens on my camera and was able to capture the moment in which it appears that the bolt is coming from Mr. Trump. It was the right lens at the right time. You can instantly tell it’s him, even in this shadow. I always say Mr. Obama was the most photogenic president, but Mr. Trump is instantly recognizable.
Feb. 21, 2023. This is President Biden delivering remarks ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, at the royal castle in Warsaw. This photo was very difficult to take. I was looking for unique angles and noticed the president’s silhouette as a reflection on the glass. I camped out at that spot for five to 10 minutes to wait for the right moment, then got this image. It was different from the standard podium speech image.
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