Robert McNeely

presidential photographer, Bill Clinton

Robert McNeely is an American photojournalist and Vietnam veteran. He chronicled President Clinton’s march to the White House. For the next six years, each morning he would shoot in black and white (other members of the White House photo staff shot in color), in order to make a historic record of virtually every meeting, every detail of the president’s daily life. His interest in photography began while he was serving in the US Army in Southeast Asia. When he returned to the US he took several workshops at the Center of the Eye in Aspen, Colorado and then began to photograph full time. In 1972 his fascination with politics started when he became a staff photographer on the McGovern for President campaign. In 1977 he entered the White House as a staff photographer with a primary responsibility to cover Vice-President Mondale. Throughout the 1980's and early 90's he traveled the world for editorial and corporate clients. In 1992 he became the campaign photographer for Bill Clinton and entered the White House with Clinton as his personal photographer. His work from the years with President Clinton was published in the book "The Clinton Years". Upon leaving the White House he began work on a two year documentary project called Photo 2000 that documented the election cycle of the year 2000 at the local, state and national level. This work was published all over the world and in a 30 page, award winning portfolio in Fortune Magazine. Since then he has continued to photograph personal projects and for editorial and commercial clients. He also lectures and teaches workshops on documentary photography.