Inside the Obama bubble: Images from the final week of the campaigns

CNN Politics
1 minute read
Updated 7:21 PM EST, Sun November 4, 2012
President Barack Obama convenes a conference call to discuss the response to Hurricane Sandy in his office aboard Air Force One during the flight to New Hamsphire on Oct. 27, 2012.
Inside the Obama bubble —
President Barack Obama convenes a conference call to discuss the response to Hurricane Sandy in his office aboard Air Force One during the flight to New Hamsphire on Oct. 27, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama holds backstage with Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and traveling aide Bobby Schmuck prior to an event at the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Oct. 27, 2012.
Saturday, Oct. 27: Nashua —
Obama holds backstage with Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, and traveling aide Bobby Schmuck prior to an event at the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Oct. 27, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama has lunch following an event at the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Oct. 27, 2012.
Saturday, Oct. 27: Nashua —
Obama has lunch following an event at the Elm Street Middle School in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Oct. 27, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama walks with daughters Sasha, right, and Malia, center, and Kaye Wilson as they return to the White House from St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington on Oct. 28, 2012.
Sunday, Oct. 28: The White House —
Obama walks with daughters Sasha, right, and Malia, center, and Kaye Wilson as they return to the White House from St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington on Oct. 28, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama, seated between FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate (r) and Richard Serino, FEMA deputy administrator, (l) receives an update on the response to Hurricane Sandy at the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA headquarters in Washington on Oct. 28, 2012.
Sunday, Oct. 28: Washington —
Obama, seated between FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate (r) and Richard Serino, FEMA deputy administrator, (l) receives an update on the response to Hurricane Sandy at the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA headquarters in Washington on Oct. 28, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama talks with former President Bill Clinton at the DoubleTree Downtown Orlando Hotel in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 28, 2012.
Sunday, Oct. 28: Orlando —
Obama talks with former President Bill Clinton at the DoubleTree Downtown Orlando Hotel in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 28, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
After cancelling an appearance at a campaign event in order to return to Washington to monitor the response to Hurricane Sandy, Obama arrives at the White House on Oct. 29, 2012.
Monday, Oct. 29: The White House —
After cancelling an appearance at a campaign event in order to return to Washington to monitor the response to Hurricane Sandy, Obama arrives at the White House on Oct. 29, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama receives an update on the response to Hurricane Sandy in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 29 2012.
Monday, Oct. 29: The White House —
Obama receives an update on the response to Hurricane Sandy in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 29 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama receives an update from officials on the response to Hurricane Sandy in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 30, 2012.
Tuesday, Oct. 30: The White House —
Obama receives an update from officials on the response to Hurricane Sandy in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 30, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama discusses the response to Hurricane Sandy by phone with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, while Alyssa Mastromonaco, the Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Operations, sits at right in the Oval Office on Oct. 30, 2012.
Tuesday, Oct. 30: The White House —
Obama discusses the response to Hurricane Sandy by phone with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, while Alyssa Mastromonaco, the Deputy White House Chief of Staff for Operations, sits at right in the Oval Office on Oct. 30, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama receives an update on the Hurricane Sandy response in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 30, 2012.
Tuesday, Oct. 30: The White House —
Obama receives an update on the Hurricane Sandy response in the Situation Room of the White House on Oct. 30, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama "tweets" a thank you message to people making donations to the Red Cross during his visit to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross at national headquarters in Washington on Oct. 30, 2012.
Tuesday, Oct. 30: Washington —
Obama "tweets" a thank you message to people making donations to the Red Cross during his visit to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross at national headquarters in Washington on Oct. 30, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie look at storm damage along the coast of New Jersey on Marine One on Oct. 31, 2012.
Wednesday, Oct. 31: Marine One —
Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie look at storm damage along the coast of New Jersey on Marine One on Oct. 31, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talk with local residents at the Brigantine Beach Community Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012.
Wednesday, Oct. 31: Brigantine —
Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie talk with local residents at the Brigantine Beach Community Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama hugs Donna Vanzant, the owner of North Point Marina, as he tours damage from Hurricane Sandy in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012.
Wednesday, Oct. 31: Brigantine —
Obama hugs Donna Vanzant, the owner of North Point Marina, as he tours damage from Hurricane Sandy in Brigantine, New Jersey, on Oct. 31, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama works with Jon Favreau, director of speechwriting, aboard Air Force One en route to Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Nov. 1, 2012.
Thursday, Nov. 1: Green Bay —
Obama works with Jon Favreau, director of speechwriting, aboard Air Force One en route to Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Nov. 1, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Obama greets Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, at the Cheyenne Sports Complex in Las Vegas on Nov. 1, 2012.
Thursday, Nov. 1: Las Vegas —
Obama greets Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, at the Cheyenne Sports Complex in Las Vegas on Nov. 1, 2012.
Pete Souza/The White House
Inside the Obama bubble: The final week of the campaigns

Story highlights

CNN asked each campaign to submit photos from the final week before Election Day

Pete Souza is President Barack Obama's Chief Official White House photographer and was a White House photographer during Ronald Reagan's second term

Many of these photographs are exclusive to CNN

CNN  — 

As President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney crisscrossed the country during the final week of the 2012 presidential campaign, few people were able to see the candidates in their most candid and unguarded moments, except for their personal photographers.

Several weeks ago, CNN invited each campaign team to submit images from the last week of the race, from Friday, Oct. 26 through Saturday, Nov. 3.

Little did anyone know that the last week would be dominated not by last-minute stops in swing states or wall-to-wall speeches to rally the party faithful, but rather one story: Superstorm Sandy.

Here are images, many provided exclusively to CNN by the Obama campaign and The White House, displayed in chronological order and shot by photographer Pete Souza.

Souza, who is Chief Official White House photographer and Director of the White House Photography Office, has been at Obama’s side since before he was elected president in 2008 and was a White House photographer during Ronald Reagan’s second term.

Click here to see a similar gallery from the Romney campaign.