"PF Bentley: From Waikiki to The White House"

Throughout his career, photojournalist & documentary filmmaker PF Bentley has covered domestic and international politics. Bentley is known and respected throughout the print and broadcast community for earning unprecedented access to presidential candidates, Heads of State, and Capitol Hill. He was the first photojournalist to shoot on the House floor while in session. Bentley was behind the scenes with President Bill Clinton for his last week in office, Inauguration Day, January 20, 2001, and his last trip on Air Force One to his new life as “Citizen Clinton”. Earlier in that month he covered the historic power sharing deal between the Republicans (Senator Trent Lott) and the Democrats (Senator Tom Daschle).

Bentley returned to Washington after September 11, 2001 (and stayed until November) for NEWSWEEK Magazine to be with lawmakers behind the scenes on Capitol Hill in the wake of the terrorist attacks and subsequent Anthrax crisis. Included in this coverage was his widely acclaimed photograph of President Bush in prayer before speaking to a Joint Session of Congress on September 20. In January of 2002, Bentley was once again on the House floor to photograph President Bush as he began his historic State of the Union address.

In January 1992, Bentley began a 10-month assignment photographing the then presidential hopeful Bill Clinton's campaign. The best-selling result, CLINTON: PORTRAIT OF VICTORY, published by Warner Books, received critical praise for his ability to capture the soul of a politician during hectic and historic times using his exclusive access to the candidate. During the early part of 1995 he documented Newt Gingrich's first 100 days in office for TIME. His book, NEWT: INSIDE THE REVOLUTION (An Epicenter Communications book published by Rutledge Hill Press), was based on that assignment.

He has covered every presidential campaign and photographed every serious presidential contender since 1980 including Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bob Dole, Michael Dukakis, Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro, Jesse Jackson, John Glenn, Al Gore, Dick Gephardt, Pat Buchanan, Bill Bradley, and Bill Clinton. Bentley's skill at getting close to his subjects without intruding on the events being recorded earned him several first place awards in the campaign category from the University of Missouri School of Journalism prestigious Pictures of the Year Competition. He won his fifth and sixth First Place Picture of the Year awards in March of 1997. Bentley was awarded top honors for his coverage in 1984 of John Glenn's presidential bid, in 1988 for Dan Quayle's vice presidential campaign, 1992 for Bill Clinton's winning campaign, in 1995 for Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" and twice in 1996 for his coverage of Bob Dole's final presidential run. In 2001 Bentley won yet another POY award for his coverage of President Clinton’s Final Days in Office. He has been a Special Corespondent for TIME Magazine and has been published in the New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post and in newspapers and magazines around the world.

Bentley grew up in Waikiki and graduated from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu with a B.Ed.degree in 1975. When not traveling he resides on the island of Molokai in Hawaii and enjoys bodyboarding and open ocean paddling.