The Bigger Picture: 30 Years of Portraits

As a Time magazine photographer covering the White House through four presidential administrations, Diana Walker enjoyed incomparable access to the world's major movers and shakers. Going behind the scenes and photographing her subjects over the course of years, she captured Presidents and their families in wonderfully candid moments and world leaders in the course of momentous events. Walker's way of engaging people and inspiring their trust results in portraits that are refreshingly spontaneous and open--giving viewers the feeling that they've met each subject personally. Many of those portrayed are notables in politics, industry, science, entertainment, and the arts--from Ronald Reagan to Steve Jobs; from Lillian Gish to Princess Diana and Prince Charles; from Mikhail Gorbachev to Hillary Clinton. Throughout the book, photographer and subjects narrate many of the 200 portraits, reminiscing about the experience and providing background for the moment or event. The result is a delightfully layered story, both visual and verbal, told from multiple points of view. Its wide appeal will capture readers who are interested in great photography, famous figures, and the political and cultural life of our times.

Diana Walker is the author of Public & Private: Twenty Years Photographing the Presidency, published by National Geographic in 2002. She was a White House photographer for Time magazine during the Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton years. Her award-winning photography is exhibited in galleries and museums across the country.