Despite initial uncertainty over whether President Trump would appoint a White House photographer, Trump finally hired experienced political photographer Shealah Craighead for the exclusive position last week.
Ever since Lyndon B. Johnson became the first U.S. president to employ a full-time, civilian White House photographer, the photo documentation of the President’s life and times during office have provided a valuable insight into the Presidency.
But who is the woman behind the lens that is now in charge of documenting one of America’s most controversial presidents? We did some digging and came up with some interesting facts to know about the new White House photographer of the 45th President of the United States.
1. She is not new to the White House. Craighead was the photo editor for the office of former Vice President Dick Cheney and former First Lady Laura Bush’s personal photographer. She also served as then Governor Sarah Palin’s campaign photographer during the 2008 Presidential campaign.
![Eric Draper [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://www.adorama.com/alc/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Shealah_Craighead_with_George_W._Bush.jpg)
2. She rides a Harley Davidson. Craighead often posts pictures of her bike on social media…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHGURp9DflH/?taken-by=shealahdcphoto&hl=en
3. She shoots Canon. Canon has a stronghold on the White House, it seems, because just like White House Photographer Pete Souza before her, Craighead shoots with Canon DSLR cameras. (Although, Sony did make it to the Oval Office for a brief stint in 2015 when Souza temporarily switched to the mirrorless Sony A7rII. (He ultimately went back to Canon.)
4. She’s a fan of Think Tank’s Pro Speed Belts. Perfect for carrying her camera AND Chanel lip gloss.
https://www.instagram.com/p/t6MWtxrZ10/?taken-by=shealahdcphoto
5. She’s close to the Bush family, and even shot Jenna Hager’s wedding. When former President Bush’s daughter, Jenna married Henry Hager, Craighead served as the official wedding photographer for the ceremony which took place at the Bush family’s Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.
6. She’s into yoga. You’ll find several pictures of her devotion to this ancient Buddhist practice on her Instagram account.
7. She is known for her discretion and has remained mum in the press. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find any interviews with her, even from her days shooting Bush or Palin.
8. She added the number 45 to her Twitter handle in honor of President Trump. Her new Twitter @shealahphoto45 is a nod to the 45th President, but as of press time remains blank despite having more than 300 followers so far. (Her pre-Trump Twitter account is currently still active, though.)
Stunning view of Arapaho Pass. Hiked from Fourth of July Trailhead, in Oct. #travel #nofilter #hiking #colorado #instasize #inspiration pic.twitter.com/nHJBgn40g3
— Shealah Craighead (@shealahDCphoto) December 2, 2016
9. She missed President Trump’s first hours in the White House. Due to a delayed decision by Trump’s team whether to hire a photographer, Craighead has gotten a later start than what is normal for most predecessors in the position.
10. It remains to be seen if she will take over the White House Flickr account. As of press time, the official White House Flickr account, which had featured 8 years of photographs from former White House photographer Pete Souza, was no longer displaying any photos.
It will be interesting to witness the presidency through Craighead’s lens, as she is now tasked with helping to preserve an important part of American history, and one of the most controversial and outspoken American presidents to date.
