White House releases "The Year in Photographs, 2012"

These images are part of a collection released Jan. 3 by Pete Souza, the official White House photographer. Souza and his team have unparalleled behind-the-scenes access to President Barack Obama, his family and staff. Souza tweeted out a link to the 80 photos on the White House Flickr stream, noting many new ones are included. "Let me know if you have a favorite," Souza said. Do you?

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Jan. 1, 2012: "A nice way to celebrate the New Year for the President was to jump in the ocean in his native state of Hawaii. He was on his annual Christmas vacation with family and friends, and went swimming at Pyramid Rock Beach in Kaneohe Bay." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Jan. 1, 2012: "A nice way to celebrate the New Year for the President was to jump in the ocean in his native state of Hawaii. He was on his annual Christmas vacation with family and friends, and went swimming at Pyramid Rock Beach in Kaneohe Bay." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)