Matt Lauer Marvels At 'Captivating' Photos of Obama

Introducing a segment, on Thursday's "Today" show, featuring Time magazine's photos of the President from his first 100 days, NBC's Matt Lauer, over a shot of Obama in Oval Office, marveled that the stills were "captivating." In an ensuing segment Lauer's colleague, Meredith Vieira asked the easily impressed Time photographer Callie Shell how Obama was "handling" the job, to which Shell cooed: "I think he does very well," and "He reads each night, at least 10 letters from 10 different people...and he answers them, usually the next day."

The following is Matt Lauer's tease and then the full segment as it was aired on the April 23, "Today" show:

MATT LAUER: And when we come back and still to come, candid and captivating images of President Obama as he approaches his first 100 days in office.

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MEREDITH VIEIRA: Next Wednesday will mark President Obama's First 100 days in office and photographers with Time magazine have been following the President every step of the way. Callie Shell is one of them, and she is here to share one of Time's exclusive photos. Good morning to you, Callie.

CALLIE SHELL, TIME PHOTOGRAPHER: Good morning.

VIEIRA: You, individually, have shot 400,000 pictures of the President campaigning, the presidency and all the events that surround that. What have you learned about the kind of presidency so far he has accomplished, that first 100 days?

 

SHELL: Well I think you know everybody puts it in first 100 days. I was just looking at it, at what's it like to go from a junior senator to a campaign to being president.

VIEIRA: And how's he handling it?

SHELL: I think he does really well. I think he maybe switched from worrying about your city, to your state, to realizing everything you do affects the whole country and the world. And he's very good. It comes in play, the reflecting and the photograph...

VIEIRA: I want to take a look at the first photograph. You call it the "Second Oval Office." I actually thought it was the Oval Office. Tell me the significance about that photo. Hopefully we can put that up.

SHELL: It's upstairs in the residence and every evening he's asked his staff to give him 10 letters from people. And this was a night where Sasha and the First Lady were out of town. So he ended the day reading, he reads each night, at least 10 letters from 10 different people.

VIEIRA: And he answers them doesn't he?

SHELL: And he answers them, usually the next day. But I just wanted to get a feel for that is how he usually ends his day, and just to kind of keep yourself grounded. It's hard living in this one house and you don't get out as much.

VIEIRA: Exactly. Another photo that you took is called, "Weight of the World." What are the events surrounding that photo?

SHELL: Well the, this is what prep session, he's doing for the second press conference. But I was really trying to show a photograph about how Barack Obama takes things in. They're all briefing him, they're giving him the updates and numbers on what's going on in the country. And he's very good at just reflecting upon it, before he jumps to decisions. And you know, and I think it's really hard to go from helping one little person to trying to figure out what you're supposed to do and people expect him to fix this in three months. And you can't.

VIEIRA: You also have some great photos, you chose a couple of them of the President and the First Lady and also a few of them of the girls - Sasha and Malia. What do those photos say to you about how the family is handling the White House and his relationship with his family?

SHELL: They're a very close family. I think that for him, Michelle is, is kind of like this best friend, the person who he can chill out with, relax and then she shoves him right back out there, "Okay you're president!" And I think for a life like this it's harder for the girls.

VIEIRA: Yeah.

SHELL: But they're great!

VIEIRA: But they seem to be adjusting.

SHELL: And he sees them more than he ever has.

VIEIRA: Alright thank you so much.