Behold photos of President Obama designed to melt your cold heart

The president is a photogenic guy. Come on. Whatever your feelings about his politics, you can grant him that. Chief official White House photographer Pete Souza has collected his favorite images of the year, either taken by himself or a member of his staff.

The photos do not disappoint. A baby dressed as the pope; check. Jerry Seinfeld peeping in the windows of the Oval Office; sure thing. The president of the United States carrying not one, but two babies; why not. Souza and his team have a talent for capturing the extraordinary, even in the most ordinary moments. (Is any moment ordinary when the president is involved?)

Anyway, some of the most affecting images are just the president alone with his daughters or the first lady. Yes, the images are controlled and capture a very specific image of the president. We covered Souza’s slightly looser Instagram account last week, if that’s your thing.

I’m grateful for this collection of photos the way plenty of people swoon over candid shots of a celebrity. The work of the White House photographer is to humanize a person who often feels larger than life. What could be more humanizing than your teenager wiping a smudge off your face?

I’ve included a few of the photos below, but you should see the whole collection, which includes captions from Souza, at Medium .

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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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