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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview with Diana Walker

Aired October 11, 2003 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT NOVAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the "Novak Zone." We're at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. with a photojournalist who covered White House for 22 years, Diana Walker of "Time" magazine.

Diana and exhibition of your work is display at this museum, and how did you decide you wanted to be photographer?

DIANA WALKER, PHOTOJOURNALIST: You know, I had been interested in photography since I was child. But -- and I had a dark room in house in Georgetown. And I did all all through my childhood, all through my teens. But then I got distracted and didn't really get into until my children were almost teenagers.

NOVAK: I have seen you the years in places all over the country, Poland and around the world. A rose among thorns. With all those rough and tough looking photographers. And you were kind of from the social (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

How did you fit in with those photographers.

WALKER: Well, they had to get used to me and I had to get used to them. Because when I first started I didn't know very much about photojournalism really. And I hadn't worked on a newspaper and I hadn't worked for a wire service. But I learned and they got used to me.

NOVAK: President Carter and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Rosen. You took a lot of picture of Rosen. There's one that's going to be in this exhibit with down in Little Rock with a young looking guy, the Governor of Arkansas named Bill Clinton.

Do you remember taking that picture?

WALKER: Absolutely not, Bob. It was so funny. I was preparing my book on all of this. I had an editor at "Time" helping me. She called me up one day and she said you never photographed before he was president, and I said I didn't. And she said yes you did. I looked at picture and I couldn't believe it.

NOVAK: You took a lot of pictures. You became a regular at the White House when president -- for "Time" Magazine when Ronald Reagan came in. There is a famous picture of Reagan face to face with Gorbachev. You took a lot of pictures of foreign leaders with the president of the United States.

Were those interesting pictures to take?

WALKER: Yes. And you know, to find yourself in this great hall Moscow at a summit. You know it was very exciting and to see these (UNINTELLIGIBLE) leaders up close, I mean that's big deal. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) than me.

NOVAK: And then one of the most famous pictures you took is the first George Bush with the troops, Thanksgiving, before the war started in the Gulf. Did you know you had great picture when saw that?

WALKER: I didn't think I had it. At the end of the day with the light beginning to go finally there was a scene. And the president began to throw souvenirs to the troops. Nothing they could really use while they were out in desert, but tie clips, and key rings and the like. It was so beautiful, and I thought to myself, boy, if I got the right exposer and hold tight this is really a picture. And it world press that year.

NOVAK: You took a lot of pictures of Bill Clinton. They look like sort of candidate pictures in one way. He's got his cheeks blown out.

WALKER: At that time President Clinton was about to go out to speak at the convention after he was nominated again in 1996. And it was very exciting to following him that day and I was behind the scenes with him. And I always try to stay in not an obvious spot and stay away be quiet and just watch. And just before he went out and they were announcing his name and there was this huge roar in the Auditorium. He took this huge deep breath and I though wow even someone as seasoned as Bill Clinton is, he still has to take a deep breath before he goes out into the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to make this speech.

NOVAK: Diana, in 1985 you came into our office with my late partner Rowland Evans and you took a picture, one of my favorite pictures. And there's a picture in this exhibit of Ben Bradley, the "Washington Post" editor smoking a cigarette.

Do you think journalist make good subjects for -- Tele-journalist make good subjects for pictures or our we pretty boring to take.

WALKER: I think journalist are great subjects. I am sorry we don't have more in the show, but there are so many of you. I love taking pictures of my colleagues and spent a great deal of time when I was out trying to photograph presidents and vise presidents and first ladies, turning my camera on all of you.

NOVAK: And no the big question for Diana Walker. Diana, you have had a great career and taken a lot of great pictures, but if you had one day to live over again, what would it be?

WALKER: I think on a professional level where I was really moved and excited when I was allowed into the red room at the White House as the only photojournalist in the room for a summit, between President Clinton, King Hussein of Jordan, the vice president, Netanyahu, and Arafat. And that was so thrilling to -- I had to really control my excitement. You know how actors get butterflies still, well I kind of get excited something like that. I remember walking quickly into the red room and I was told I was going to get this access. I came in and there was Netanyahu, sitting a love seat with Arafat. I thought wow, everybody out there in the press wants to know if they are even talking and there they were sitting there. And that was really a thrilling moment for me, very.

NOVAK: Diana Walker congratulation on your show.

WALKER: Thanks very much.

NOVAK: And thank you for being in the "Novak Zone"

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 11, 2003 - 09:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT NOVAK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to the "Novak Zone." We're at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. with a photojournalist who covered White House for 22 years, Diana Walker of "Time" magazine.

Diana and exhibition of your work is display at this museum, and how did you decide you wanted to be photographer?

DIANA WALKER, PHOTOJOURNALIST: You know, I had been interested in photography since I was child. But -- and I had a dark room in house in Georgetown. And I did all all through my childhood, all through my teens. But then I got distracted and didn't really get into until my children were almost teenagers.

NOVAK: I have seen you the years in places all over the country, Poland and around the world. A rose among thorns. With all those rough and tough looking photographers. And you were kind of from the social (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

How did you fit in with those photographers.

WALKER: Well, they had to get used to me and I had to get used to them. Because when I first started I didn't know very much about photojournalism really. And I hadn't worked on a newspaper and I hadn't worked for a wire service. But I learned and they got used to me.

NOVAK: President Carter and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Rosen. You took a lot of picture of Rosen. There's one that's going to be in this exhibit with down in Little Rock with a young looking guy, the Governor of Arkansas named Bill Clinton.

Do you remember taking that picture?

WALKER: Absolutely not, Bob. It was so funny. I was preparing my book on all of this. I had an editor at "Time" helping me. She called me up one day and she said you never photographed before he was president, and I said I didn't. And she said yes you did. I looked at picture and I couldn't believe it.

NOVAK: You took a lot of pictures. You became a regular at the White House when president -- for "Time" Magazine when Ronald Reagan came in. There is a famous picture of Reagan face to face with Gorbachev. You took a lot of pictures of foreign leaders with the president of the United States.

Were those interesting pictures to take?

WALKER: Yes. And you know, to find yourself in this great hall Moscow at a summit. You know it was very exciting and to see these (UNINTELLIGIBLE) leaders up close, I mean that's big deal. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) than me.

NOVAK: And then one of the most famous pictures you took is the first George Bush with the troops, Thanksgiving, before the war started in the Gulf. Did you know you had great picture when saw that?

WALKER: I didn't think I had it. At the end of the day with the light beginning to go finally there was a scene. And the president began to throw souvenirs to the troops. Nothing they could really use while they were out in desert, but tie clips, and key rings and the like. It was so beautiful, and I thought to myself, boy, if I got the right exposer and hold tight this is really a picture. And it world press that year.

NOVAK: You took a lot of pictures of Bill Clinton. They look like sort of candidate pictures in one way. He's got his cheeks blown out.

WALKER: At that time President Clinton was about to go out to speak at the convention after he was nominated again in 1996. And it was very exciting to following him that day and I was behind the scenes with him. And I always try to stay in not an obvious spot and stay away be quiet and just watch. And just before he went out and they were announcing his name and there was this huge roar in the Auditorium. He took this huge deep breath and I though wow even someone as seasoned as Bill Clinton is, he still has to take a deep breath before he goes out into the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to make this speech.

NOVAK: Diana, in 1985 you came into our office with my late partner Rowland Evans and you took a picture, one of my favorite pictures. And there's a picture in this exhibit of Ben Bradley, the "Washington Post" editor smoking a cigarette.

Do you think journalist make good subjects for -- Tele-journalist make good subjects for pictures or our we pretty boring to take.

WALKER: I think journalist are great subjects. I am sorry we don't have more in the show, but there are so many of you. I love taking pictures of my colleagues and spent a great deal of time when I was out trying to photograph presidents and vise presidents and first ladies, turning my camera on all of you.

NOVAK: And no the big question for Diana Walker. Diana, you have had a great career and taken a lot of great pictures, but if you had one day to live over again, what would it be?

WALKER: I think on a professional level where I was really moved and excited when I was allowed into the red room at the White House as the only photojournalist in the room for a summit, between President Clinton, King Hussein of Jordan, the vice president, Netanyahu, and Arafat. And that was so thrilling to -- I had to really control my excitement. You know how actors get butterflies still, well I kind of get excited something like that. I remember walking quickly into the red room and I was told I was going to get this access. I came in and there was Netanyahu, sitting a love seat with Arafat. I thought wow, everybody out there in the press wants to know if they are even talking and there they were sitting there. And that was really a thrilling moment for me, very.

NOVAK: Diana Walker congratulation on your show.

WALKER: Thanks very much.

NOVAK: And thank you for being in the "Novak Zone"

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com