“Scott is a big story, big picture photographer. You can count on him to think it through, weigh the options and be in the right place at the right time to capture the moment that stands the test of time in the history books,” said J. David Ake, AP assistant chief of bureau for photography in Washington. “He has made many such images in his career.”
Applewhite, the recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes, has covered six
presidents: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W.
Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He joined AP's Washington bureau in
1981.
In an AP video, he described how he tries to peel back the curtain.
“I look for little moments of reality that will get revealed sometimes. It might be in between thoughts, it might be an off-the-cuff remark, it might be a slightly different angle, but little stolen moments. Some of my best pictures have a little larceny in them,” Applewhite said. “But that’s kind of what we look for. It’s the very core of what we’re supposed to do as photojournalists: show somebody what they can’t see on their own.”
Applewhite recounts memorable moments from his career, such as how he got his Pulitzer-winning photograph of former President Bill Clinton on his way to address the media amid impeachment proceedings, in this video:
Applewhite has been busy lately covering Congress, including the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey last week.
AP photographer Andrew Harnik received the Political Photo of the Year award at Saturday's gala at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, for his image of Hillary Clinton standing in front of reporters on her campaign plane.
AP photographers Alex Brandon, Jacquelyn Martin, Pablo Martinez Monsivais and Evan Vucci were also honored.
The full list of WHNPA award winners can be found here.