By Anne Levin

In 2011, photographer Amanda Lucidon was covering an event in Washington when she happened to meet Pete Souza, the chief photographer of the Obama White House. She had no idea at the time, but it was an introduction that would change her life.

“Two years later, he called and asked me if I was interested in applying for a photography job at the White House,” said Lucidon. “Of course I said yes. I was hired, and my assignment was to spend most of my time photographing Michelle Obama. I also got to cover the president from time to time. It all feels like a dream to me, that it even happened.”

From those four years in the White House came the book Chasing Light: Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer. Lucidon will talk about the book, a collection of 150 photographs, at Princeton Public Library on Thursday, November 16 from 7-8:30 p.m. The date also marks the opening of an exhibit of her pictures in the library’s second floor gallery on view through December 3.

Lucidon was one of five photographers at the Obama White House, and the only woman on the team. She followed the first lady everywhere, shooting official engagements, international travel, and private moments. Asked to pinpoint her favorite shots, she thought for a moment.

“It depends on the day, but I loved taking pictures that showed different sides of her that people might otherwise not get to see,” Lucidon said. “There is one with [dogs] Bo and Sunny, where she’s just cracking up. There are others of her meetings with young girls at the White House, who are just joyous to be with her. I loved documenting that joy. Those are things where photography makes connections.”

Lucidon has high praise for Michelle Obama, describing her as “very grounded, humble, thoughtful, and compassionate. What surprised me is the way she always took the time for people,” she said. “At an event, she would always spend time talking to individuals, hugging them, and making connections. She often pointed out that you don’t know what’s happening in that person’s day. To give a hug really makes a difference in that person’s life.”

The former president is similarly kind but more serious, Lucidon said. “He’s the smartest person I know. She’s really funny, and she makes him laugh a lot.”

Working in the Obama White House was especially meaningful to Lucidon because it came at a key phase in her life. She had spoken to her father the night before the 2008 inauguration. “We usually didn’t talk about politics, but we spoke about Obama,” Lucidon said. “Unexpectedly, he died the next morning. And I found out from my stepmother that he had stayed up all night to watch the Obamas go from ball to ball, scanning for me in the background.”

Lucidon had come to Washington after accepting a buyout from the newspaper where she had worked in California. Embarking on a freelance career wasn’t easy. “It was really competitive, and I was trying to make it in Washington,” she said. “I had wanted to cover the 2008 inauguration, but I didn’t have press credentials anymore. So I got up early and stood outside in the cold at 4 a.m. with the crowds. I shot from the people’s perspective. And It was great, because I was around a new energy and buzz. I got to see how everyone was feeling in the crowd.”

Lucidon has won several awards for her work. She has been honored by Pictures of the Year International, National Press Photographers Association Best of Photojournalism, and the White House News Photographers Association, among others.

The mother of a 10-month-old daughter, Lucidon is currently a photographer, filmmaker, and public speaker based in Washington. She looks back fondly on her years at the White House.

“The Obamas meant so much to me. They inspired me every day and still do,” she said. “The staff, too. There are people working so hard — down to the butlers, the gardeners — people caring about something bigger than themselves. It was so unique to be around that kind of dedication. Every day I was grateful to have the gates of the White House open to me again.”