By HELEN POW
What with a Presidential election, two severe hurricanes, multiple mass shootings and a fiscal cliff, it has been a busy year for Barack Obama.
But at every twist and turn, his decisions, reactions and emotions have been captured in photographs.
Now, as 2012 comes to a close, the President has pulled together a collection of his favourite pictures for the year and posted them to the White House Facebook page for America to enjoy.
Many of the images of the world's most photographed man were taken at campaign rallies.
Others were shot during down time, when the President and First Lady, Michelle Obama, could take a breather from their exhausting schedules.
A poignant photo of the First Couple embracing in the darkness after the President's final campaign rally made Obama's dozen favourite pictures, as well as one of the pair gazing at their home town, Chicago, from across the water.
'We don't turn back. We leave no one behind. We pull each other up,' Obama said at the Democratic National Convention, where an image of him at the podium made the top shots.
Photos of the President interacting with his youngest fans also made the cut for 2012's best pictures.
In one image, Obama is being saluted by an adorable toddler, while another shows him hugging a couple of kids at an elementary school visit.
On first glance, the school photo looks like a million others, however it's the two classmates sneaking a cheeky kiss in the background that makes the photograph brilliant.
A superb shot of Obama throwing a football on a bright green field and another of him dropping for push ups while a group of basketball players high five beside him round off the photos that chronicle what was a huge, but ultimately successful, year for America's leader.
source: dailymail
