David Hume Kennerly

David Hume Kennerly is an American photojournalist and Presidential photographer best known for his coverage of the Vietnam War and his role as Personal Photographer to President Gerald R. Ford from 1974-1977. At age 25, he won the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography for his portfolio of images from the Vietnam War, Cambodia, East Pakistani refugees near Calcutta, and the Ali-Frazier fight in Madison Square Garden. Kennerly's career spans over five decades of documenting major historical events, including coverage of eight wars and photographing every U.S. president since Lyndon B. Johnson. His work has appeared on more than 50 major magazine covers, including Time, Life, and Newsweek, and his photographs are housed in collections at the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Institution. Beyond his political and war photography, Kennerly has published several books of his work, including "Shooter," "Photo Op," and "Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford." He served as a contributing editor for Newsweek magazine and has worked as a photographer for Time, Life, and George magazines. His contributions to photojournalism have earned him numerous accolades, including being named "One of the 100 Most Important People in Photography" by American Photo Magazine. Kennerly continues to document significant events and has served as a commentator on photography and photojournalism for various media outlets.

Readers value Kennerly's photojournalism books for their historical significance and behind-the-scenes perspective, particularly his work documenting U.S. presidents and major world events. Readers noted strengths: - Raw, candid moments that capture key historical figures - Clear technical skill and composition - Detailed captions providing context - Access to private presidential moments - Vietnam War coverage showing both combat and human elements Common criticisms: - Some books contain previously published photos - High price points for photo collections - Limited narrative text beyond captions - Print quality issues in some earlier books Ratings across platforms: Amazon: 4.7/5 (124 reviews) Goodreads: 4.3/5 (89 reviews) Notable reader comment: "His work during the Ford administration gives unprecedented insight into the daily operations of the White House. The photos feel natural rather than staged." - Amazon reviewer Several readers mentioned they use his books as teaching resources for photojournalism courses.

Shooter (1979) Collection of photojournalism from Kennerly's career including Vietnam War coverage and his time as President Ford's personal photographer.

Photo Op: Presidential Pictures by David Hume Kennerly (1995) Compilation of presidential photographs spanning multiple administrations, featuring both formal portraits and candid moments.

Photo du Jour: A Picture-A-Day Journey through the First Year of the New Millennium (2002) Daily photographs taken throughout the year 2000, documenting events and everyday life across the world.

Extraordinary Circumstances: The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (2007) Visual documentation of Ford's presidency through photographs taken during Kennerly's tenure as White House photographer.

David Hume Kennerly On the iPhone (2014) Collection of images taken exclusively with iPhone cameras, exploring mobile photography techniques and storytelling.

Sein Off: Inside the Final Days of Seinfeld (1998) Behind-the-scenes photographs documenting the last season of the television show Seinfeld.

In the National Interest (1988) Photographic examination of American politics and government operations during the 1980s.