Barbara “Barb” Kinney is an award-winning American photojournalist and former White House photographer from Evansville, Indiana. She is best known for documenting the presidency of Bill Clinton and later serving as an official photographer for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns.

Evansville and Education

Kinney grew up in Evansville and graduated from William Henry Harrison High School in 1976. Her interest in photography developed while she was a student at Harrison, where she took photography classes and worked on the school newspaper and yearbook.

She later attended the University of Kansas, earning a degree in photojournalism and news writing.

Photography Career

Kinney worked as a photographer and photo editor for USA Today before joining the White House photography staff in 1993. She spent more than six years documenting President Bill Clinton, First Lady Hillary Clinton and their family, photographing major events and behind-the-scenes moments at the White House and around the world.

One of her most famous photographs was taken before the signing of the Oslo II Accord in 1995. The image captured President Clinton and several Middle Eastern leaders simultaneously adjusting their neckties. The photograph appeared in Life magazine and earned Kinney first place in a World Press Photo competition.

After leaving the White House, Kinney worked for Reuters and continued her career in photojournalism. She later returned to photograph Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2016.

Kinney has also photographed Chelsea Clinton’s wedding, worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and taught photography.

As of 2025, Kinney was working as a senior photographer and photo editor at Emerson Collective in Palo Alto, California. She continues to visit Evansville, where her family and longtime friends remain.