Photographing the Presidents

AUSTIN (KXAN) - "Behind the Lens: White House Photography from LBJ to Obama" pays tribute to four presidential photographers.

"Usually the photographers are on the other side of the rope and, as you know, somebody comes to town, and you don't get very close to the candidate or president," said David Hume Kennerly, former White House photographer. "But as the official White House photographer, we were part of the White House staff, and I had total access to all the meetings, top secret or otherwise."

That total access over the years has resulted in a treasure trove of images. None are possible without first gaining the trust of the first family.

"One of the most important things about being a personal photographer for the president is the trust factor between you and your boss, the President," said Hume Kennerly. "Photographers are notoriously tight lipped, we don't talk to reporters about what we heard in the room."

Robert McNeely was the White House photographer during the Clinton years. He said the Internet has changed the business of photojournalism.

"But the nice thing about now, anyone with a digital camera and a laptop can put pictures up on the Internet and have people start to see them," said McNeely. "Where as before, if no magazine wanted your pictures, short of taking a picture and going to telephone poles around Washington, people wouldn't see your pictures. So there's really the opportunity now to have your pictures seen."

The two photographers will discuss their thoughts about life in the White House at 6 p.m. at the LBJ Auditorium at UT on Wednesday. See a sneak peak of the exhibit below: