49er Industry Chats: Careers in Photography

Front Row Seat to History: A behind-the-scenes view of the presidency of George W. Bush

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Eric Draper

Eric Draper '01

Owner, Eric Draper Photography

Eric Draper served as President George W. Bush’s chief White House photographer for the entire eight years of his presidency. Draper was named Special Assistant to the President, and is the first White House photographer to be named a commissioned officer to a U.S. president. Also during his tenure, Draper directed the photographic and archival conversion of the White House Photo Office from film to digital and took nearly 1 million photos documenting the presidency. Prior to joining the White House, Draper was West Regional Enterprise Photographer for the Associated Press. In eight years with the AP, Draper covered an array of domestic and international news and sports. Draper has also worked as a staff photographer for The Seattle Times, the Pasadena Star-News and the Albuquerque Tribune. Draper is currently a freelance corporate, and editorial photographer based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico where he lives with his wife and three dogs. He is an obsessive LA Laker fan.