LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As the country prepares to say farewell to former President George HW Bush, a local photographer shares some candid moments with the 41st. President.

Bill Luster[00:00:20]:"I started covering presidents actually in '65."

 

[use quick picture click sound and images]

 

Armed with his camera of choice.

 

Bill Luster[00:14:29]:"This is in 1985 in the Oval Office with Vice President Bush and President Reagan."

 

Louisville Photographer Bill Luster has covered every commander in chief from Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama.

 

[00:07:42]:"My job has always been to blend in the background."

 

From the Oval Office to Air Force One, Luster says his job was to NOT be noticed.

 

[00:06:00]:"H. W. Bush was very cordial."

 

But says George H. W. Bush noticed him.

 

[00:06:07]:"He asked me where I was from and what I was doing there."

 

At the time, Bush was President Ronald Reagan's loyal vice president.

 

[00:05:49]:"I had some conversations with him outside the oval office while I was waiting to go in, he was also waiting to go in."

 

Luster remembers some very heated meetings in the Oval Office between Reagan, Bush and Congressional Leaders.

 

[00:04:05]:"They were going at it, they were having serious conversations about what was going on in the Iran Contra Scandal."

 

Luster may have been snap happy.

 

[00:03:53]:"I stayed in that meeting about 10 or 15 minutes."

 

But he promised to never discuss what he heard.

 

[00:05:34]:"Yes I did and I still can't talk about it."

 

However, his lips aren't sealed about everything he heard.

 

[00:08:11]:"I got a call from the White House after he was elected."

 

In 1988, Luster was not camera shy when he was offered a behind the scenes photo shoot with the president elect.

 

[00:08:27]:"He said, 'now, there's one catch, when president Reagan comes into the holding room at the U-S Capital, you'll have essentially 20-minutes to spend with he and president elect Bush."

 

Luster says he was focused and ready to go.

 

[00:08:48]:"President Bush came in last and I'm thinking...oh, this is going to be terrific."

 

But a call from mother nature changed everything.

 

[00:08:55]:"He said to President Reagan, 'I need to go to the restroom."

 

[00:09:01]:"And he didn't come out until about 15 minutes later, so I essentially got 3 minutes with him."

 

[00:08:16]:"The director of photography said, 'we want to invite you up and photograph behind the scenes during his inauguration."

 

[00:08:41]:"I'm thinking, this is fabulous."

 

[00:09:14]:"I was supposed to get 20 minutes."

 

[00:17:07]:"This is one of my favorite pictures of president Bush."

 

[00:04:35]:"they're my babies and I remember them real well."

 

[00:04:50]:"So I know everything about those pictures

 

[00:03:49]:"I was not to talk anything about that."

 

[00:06:49]:"You love the guy...he was just nice and cordial."

 

[00:20:20]:"It was pretty uncomfortable because of the subject matter."

 

Luster[00:03:21]:"I have more of Vice President Bush than I have of President Bush."

 

Even present during a heated meeting with congressional leaders about the Iran Contra Scandal.

 

nat[00:19:18]:"I was glad to get out of the room finally because this was some high powered discussion."

 

[00:04:17]:"Tip O'Neal was there, Vice President Bush."

 

 

 

 

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