And it attracts people who are multi skilled because adjusting the camera, working with light and composing good shots require both technical and artistic ability.

CNN sat down with the photographer who snapped up presidential history.

My name is Eric Draper.

I was the chief White House photographer for President George W.

Bush.

I took nearly one million photos during my time in the White House, and I was able to capture him not only as commander in Chief, but as ah, father, as a dog owner and as a husband.

What a lot of people don't know about the president is he connects with people on such a personal level.

Instantly.

I believe he has a God given talent with connecting at people, and I watched it for all eight years from a janitor in the hallway to the king of Saudi Arabia who was able to break the ice with people.

He was able to instantly read them to start a personal discussion.

What was going through my mind on 9 11, I was in complete shock the entire day.

I had the advantage of having a camera in my hand and a job to do to distract me, knowing that it was a historic day, knowing that these pictures will be seen forever.

But the president was in full reaction mode.

Hey, never stopped to look at the television, and he picked up a note pad and he started writing down his first thoughts for his first statement to the nation into the world.

In response to the attacks.

In this photograph, President Bush had just committed troops to Iraq, and you can still see that decision still weighing on his face as he walked the South long alone with the dogs out of the corner of my eye, I see Vice President Cheney and Don Rumsfeld, the secretary of defense, walking out of the Oval Office, and the president walked over to greet them, and later I found out that they were discussing the start of the timing of the war in Iraq.

On January 20th, 2009, after the swearing in of President Obama, you can see the burden of the presidency was just lifted.

You could just see it on his face.

Immediately, I spent eight Christmases with the Bush family at Camp David and every Christmas, the Bush clan, we get together for a group photo inside the cabin, and it was always fun.

And typically I was the only staffer there, and they always made me feel like family.

You look back at these pictures and they have historical perspective, especially on days like 9 11 and all those major decisions that the president made.

They bring people back to those emotions so they could remember what that time was like.

Having an archive like this is very important.

Mhm.