100 Days of Obama: the Flickr Potustream
April 28, 2009 8:39 PM   Subscribe

After one hundred days, the wait is over: Pete Souza's Gargantuan Presidential High-Definition Executive Flickrdump is here. Warning: If you put it on fullscreen you won't get anything else done for a while.
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 (42 comments total) 21 users marked this as a favorite
 
Sorry, the Ken Burns effect just doesn't have the same wistful effect on me without the iPhoto gentle acoustic stock music.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:42 PM on April 28, 2009 [1 favorite]


It's such a simple thing to share, and it makes me feel connected to our President and his amazing family. I love it.
posted by iamkimiam at 8:49 PM on April 28, 2009


Wow. Thanks for posting this.
posted by carter at 8:50 PM on April 28, 2009


holy wonderful. thank, thank, thank.
posted by localhuman at 9:05 PM on April 28, 2009


I hate to be a wet blanket about this, but I'm actually kinda sick of seeing historic photo mementos of this historic presidency. I voted for Obama and I'm as excited about it as anyone, but one more shot of two guys from behind is not going to make me feel any differently about the importance of the presidency right now. I want to see things getting done. Preferably in High-Definition.
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:06 PM on April 28, 2009 [4 favorites]


"President Barack Obama removes his shoes as he prepares to visit the Blue Mosque April 7, 2009, in Istanbul." [link]
Hm, I wonder if the Secret Service respects customs like that as well?
posted by spectracide at 9:12 PM on April 28, 2009


Wow! This is fantastic stuff. Can we make a rule that all "photo-filter" that happens so often has to be AT LEAST this good?
posted by lattiboy at 9:14 PM on April 28, 2009


Lemme check...Nope, still not tired of looking at our first black president, sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office. Thanks for the post.
posted by rtha at 9:15 PM on April 28, 2009 [1 favorite]


Only one of the Queen, and a mediocre one too. Is that all you got? Some great shots here, but some of those need to be culled. Also Clooney looks way too at home here.
posted by jimmythefish at 9:17 PM on April 28, 2009 [1 favorite]


They're licensing this under the Creative Commons Attribution license. But isn't this a U.S. Government work and therefore in the public domain?
posted by grouse at 9:22 PM on April 28, 2009


Wow, Obama is having another press conference tomorrow night.
posted by smackfu at 9:22 PM on April 28, 2009


They're licensing this under the Creative Commons Attribution license. But isn't this a U.S. Government work and therefore in the public domain?
i'd have to fire up an old flickr account, but i thought that the most free option flickr allowed was cc. since the white house is using the flickr slideshow mechanism, the flickr product might only be developed to mention cc.
posted by the aloha at 9:28 PM on April 28, 2009


Props to KabaddiMan. That's only the second use of the idolatry tag since quonsar.
posted by twoleftfeet at 9:34 PM on April 28, 2009


grouse, looking at the flickr account, the only options are creative commons variants and copyright.

you are right about that u.s. government works created by government agents who are not contractors, though. additionally, u.s. government pictures of the presidents are thought to belong to the public domain as their position is the most truly national office, and also due to the high demand. this does not extend to every image of the president (the zapruder film being a famous example of that).
posted by the aloha at 9:39 PM on April 28, 2009


I wonder if the Flickr Pro account is gratis or paid for. I'm not suggesting scandal, just curious.
posted by boo_radley at 9:42 PM on April 28, 2009


I'm sure they can afford the $29/year.

Anyway, I'm not really to fond of the whole "lets stare at pictures of our great leader" thing. Besides, isn't looking at photos of stuff that's already happened looking back? I thought we were supposed to be looking forward, not backwards, upwards, not downwards, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
posted by delmoi at 10:00 PM on April 28, 2009


THIS.

In my lifetime I can't ever remember seeing my President canoodling with his wife. I love it.
posted by AloneOssifer at 10:40 PM on April 28, 2009


Excellent ! Thank you.
posted by nicolin at 10:42 PM on April 28, 2009


Sorry, these are mostly lousy photographs - great access of fascinating people in an uncommon situation, but just. not. good. photography.
posted by twsf at 11:08 PM on April 28, 2009


Skimmed through the pics, but Obama's very very clearly aged in the last few months, mostly after October-ish last year.
posted by the cydonian at 11:35 PM on April 28, 2009


Sorry, these are mostly lousy photographs - great access of fascinating people in an uncommon situation, but just. not. good. photography.

So I look at them and think they're pretty good.

Now what do we do?
posted by jscott at 12:16 AM on April 29, 2009


What emerges for me through these photos is the pure humanity of the man. I feel connected with him on a purely personal, emotional level and I am not even American. This is clearly a good man and these photos convey that. The man and his character are so manifestly evident through these photos - this is what gives them their meaning and their power. Lousy photographs? I'll leave that to experts in the field of photograph art. All I can say is that I was moved by them in what feels like a deeply human way.
posted by vac2003 at 1:17 AM on April 29, 2009 [3 favorites]


You can tell he is a slick politician. He can even laugh at Jay Leno.
posted by srboisvert at 1:48 AM on April 29, 2009


You guys this sounds totally stupid but I really fucking love this president.

Really, really, really, really, really, really.
posted by churl at 1:53 AM on April 29, 2009 [2 favorites]


Sorry. Takes more than cute photos now, for Obama to mean much to me anymore. I need to see indictments.
posted by Goofyy at 3:15 AM on April 29, 2009


Its the first example I can think of where a really high profile figure has sanctioned the release of a photostream: photos released directly for public viewing and commenting without the intermediation of the press. In this case - at least for now - I think it works in Obama's favour. I suspect that those who look after publicity for other national leaders, religious heads, A list stars, etc will be wondering whether to follow suit. Would be interesting to see the Pope, British Royal Family, etc give this a go.

I'm also amused that Flickr commenters are complaining about the absence of EXIF information.
posted by rongorongo at 3:27 AM on April 29, 2009


If you enter full screen and then click on 'Options', the first is 'Embiggen small things to fill screen'. Is that standard Flash-related text, or a Simpsons reference from the White House?
posted by StephenF at 3:38 AM on April 29, 2009


Does anyone know where I can find more pix of Obama during his first 100 days? Thx.
posted by Slap Factory at 4:04 AM on April 29, 2009


Okay. Rearranging the furniture. heh.
posted by nax at 6:16 AM on April 29, 2009


Well, while we're here - what is the deal with the decor of the oval office? Has it always been so... beige?
posted by lullaby at 7:14 AM on April 29, 2009


I forget about it for a little while and then something happens to remind me HOLY SHIT THERE'S A BLACK FAMILY IN THE WHITEHOUSE and these pictures did that to me again so thanks.
posted by The Straightener at 7:19 AM on April 29, 2009


I wonder if we'll ever see Malia's flickr set. And I may be the only left who wants more dog pictures. Especially that last one where Bo walks like he's the leader of the free puppy world.
posted by dog food sugar at 7:30 AM on April 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


(...) but just. not. good. photography.

You sound foolish when you say thinks like that, where "like that" means both "things that are not true" and "things. that. have. periods. between. each. word. for. effect."
posted by dirtdirt at 7:36 AM on April 29, 2009


One day I'll get tired of looking through Obama photostreams. Today is not that day.
posted by EricCunningham84 at 7:43 AM on April 29, 2009


I will never tire of this man or these type of posts.

I don't even want to be the kind of person who could do that.

Nothing at all wrong with seeing your heroes when they're alive and in their prime.

And to the idolatry tag, I'll add inspiring, driven, visionary, life-affirming and above all DECENT.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 8:42 AM on April 29, 2009


I can think of some more adjectives to use.
posted by smackfu at 8:49 AM on April 29, 2009


Is it "Ghostbusters 2"?
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 10:13 AM on April 29, 2009 [1 favorite]


Dude. I totally thought of some adjectives today too!
posted by eyeballkid at 10:26 AM on April 29, 2009


Creative Commons blog on the Public Domain issue. Flickr doesn't allow listing photos under public domain, a problem which we can hopefully remedy.

I don't necessarily think this speaks to any deep political issues, I'm just really impressed with Souza's work. There are some really cool photos on here, and you can tell he has the eye for good shots.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:09 AM on April 29, 2009


So I look at them and think they're pretty good.
Now what do we do?
posted by jscott at 3:16 AM on April 29


ROFLBOT it !
posted by liza at 4:11 PM on April 29, 2009


I watched it with a soundtrack by accident, and it was so good.

You and your sister
Just (Cover by Nickel Creek)
Peaches - Fuck the Pain Away
DJ Revolution - Man or Machine
and so on.

I am very happy.
posted by cashman at 9:00 PM on April 29, 2009


If you enter full screen and then click on 'Options', the first is 'Embiggen small things to fill screen'. Is that standard Flash-related text, or a Simpsons reference from the White House?

I am kind of both ashamed and proud to be responsible for that line being in the Flickr slideshow UI. It was much better when it said "Embiggen small photos", but when we launched video support last year we did an unfortunate language sweep of the whole site, changing the specific term "photo" to more generic terms like "item" and "thing". In retrospect, a crummy change. Doh.
posted by ericost at 12:13 AM on April 30, 2009 [3 favorites]


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