As Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday and Pete Souza took his last photographs of the Obamas, Souza fans were left to wonder: who will take over? The answer, though not official yet, may be photojournalist Shealah Craighead.
According to CNN, Craighead is “at the top of the list” to become Trump’s official photographer, and even though no official pick has been made yet, President Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that she is one of the photographers working with the campaign at this time.
A prolific Washington, DC photographer, Craighead’s credentials make her more than qualified for this position. She previously held positions as photo editor for the Office of Vice President Cheney, an Official White House Photographer, and personal photographer for former First Lady Laura Bush. More recently, she served as Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s campaign photographer in 2008.
It’s not uncommon for former White House photographers to come back and work for other administrations; before becoming Obama’s photographer, Souza worked for President Ronald Reagan, for instance. That said, at this time we cannot confirm that Craighead will be Trump’s pick for White House Photographer.
Despite Twitter “confirmation” by Photo Brigade, Craighead herself declined to comment over the phone with CNN, and has yet to reply to PetaPixel‘s request for comment/confirmation.
To learn more about the White House Photog candidate, head over to her website or give her a follow on Twitter and Instagram.
Image credits: Photographs courtesy of Shealah Craighead/SarahPAC, used under Creative Commons license
