Barack Obama shares photo booth snaps on Michelle’s birthday

Barack Obama may be the former president, but as far as he’s concerned, his wife Michelle is the real star of the family – particularly on her birthday.

In a gushing tribute posted on social media in honour of Michelle turning 56, Barack shared a series of four black-and-white snaps of the couple, which appear to have been taken inside a photo booth, while penning a sweet message to his wife of almost 28 years. 

‘In every scene, you are my star, @MichelleObama!’ he wrote, before adding: ‘Happy birthday, baby!’

Tribute: Barack Obama penned a sweet message to his wife Michelle on her 56th birthday on Friday, while sharing adorable pictures of the couple taken inside a photo booth

Candid: The images show Barack, 58, and Michelle, 56, striking a series of fun poses, while also embracing and kissing

Candid: The images show Barack, 58, and Michelle, 56, striking a series of fun poses, while also embracing and kissing

Candid: The images show Barack, 58, and Michelle, 56, striking a series of fun poses, while also embracing and kissing

Peace! In one of the photos, Barack flashes a peace sign at the camera, while Michelle pouts

Peace! In one of the photos, Barack flashes a peace sign at the camera, while Michelle pouts 

Heartfelt: Barack described Michelle as his 'star' in an accompanying caption

Heartfelt: Barack described Michelle as his ‘star’ in an accompanying caption 

The four photos of the couple each depict them striking a different pose for the photo booth camera, with the first capturing Michelle sitting on Barack’s lap while holding his head to her chest. 

In the second, Barack is giving Michelle a sweet kiss on the cheek as she glances at the camera, while the third shows her pouting up a storm while Barack flashes a cheeky peace sign. 

Finally, the two are seen embracing, with Barack turning away from the camera to hug and kiss his wife, who is seen grinning happily.   

The images, which were posted both on Twitter and Instagram, took Barack’s followers by storm, sparking a frenzy of comments and likes – with more than 1.3 million people liking the snaps in less than an hour. 

‘Happy Birthday! I miss you and your wonderful family living in the White House,’ one person wrote, while another chimed in to describe the Obamas as ‘relationship GOALS’. 

Hours after Barack’s sweet post was shared, Michelle took to Instagram to thank her friends, family, and followers for their kind birthday wishes – while detailing how her ‘perspective’ has changed over the last year now that both of her daughters, Malia and Sasha, are away at college. 

‘Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes!’ she wrote. ‘With the girls off at college, this birthday brings with it a new perspective — a fresh breath — along my journey.  

Celebration: Michelle thanked her friends, family and followers for their birthday wishes, while sharing a picture of herself hiking with some of her nearest and dearest - which is thought to have been taken in Hawaii

Celebration: Michelle thanked her friends, family and followers for their birthday wishes, while sharing a picture of herself hiking with some of her nearest and dearest – which is thought to have been taken in Hawaii 

 

Tradition: Last year, Barack shared a throwback photo of the couple to celebrate Michelle turning 55

Tradition: Last year, Barack shared a throwback photo of the couple to celebrate Michelle turning 55

‘I’m looking forward to devoting some quality time to my friends and to myself — and of course, to that husband of mine, too. I’m looking to make this year the best one yet — can’t wait to keep you all posted along the way.’ 

In the photo, Michelle is seen standing on a concrete path arm-in-arm with five friends, all of whom are wearing casual workout gear. Behind them are two grassy hills, and there is a colorful rainbow seen streaking through the sky. 

It is likely the picture was taken in Hawaii, Barack’s birthplace, where the couple have been enjoying a lengthy vacation; earlier this month, the former president was seen paddleboarding in the Pacific Ocean under the watchful eye of a Secret Service agent who followed along in a kayak.

Barack’s social media tributes to his wife have become something of an annual tradition for the couple – who often share sweet public messages and photos for one another on special occasions, including birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. 

Last year, the former president shared a candid throwback snap of the couple during the first years of their relationship, writing: ‘I knew it way back then and I’m absolutely convinced of it today – you’re one of a kind, @MichelleObama. Happy Birthday!’ 

This has been quite the year for Michelle, who published her book Becoming at the end of 2018, and then embarked on a lengthy book tour that took up much of the first half of 2019.  

Then just this week, Barack and Michelle celebrated the fact that their Netflix documentary American Factory had received an Oscar nomination; the film is the first release from the Obamas’ production company Higher Ground.

Sharing the happy news on Instagram, Michelle wrote: ‘I couldn’t be happier that Julia Reichert, Steven Bognar, and all of the incredible people behind #AmericanFactory have been nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar.  

Celebration: Earlier this week, Michelle and Barack celebrated the fact that their Netflix documentary, American Factory, was nominated for an Oscar

Celebration: Earlier this week, Michelle and Barack celebrated the fact that their Netflix documentary, American Factory, was nominated for an Oscar

Working hard: A few days before that, the former FLOTUS revealed on social media that she is launching a new Instagram show that will document the lives of four college freshmen

Working hard: A few days before that, the former FLOTUS revealed on social media that she is launching a new Instagram show that will document the lives of four college freshmen

Working hard: A few days before that, the former FLOTUS revealed on social media that she is launching a new Instagram show that will document the lives of four college freshmen

Working hard: It's been a busy year for Michelle, who spent much of 2019 on her book tour, promoting her bestseller Becoming

Working hard: It’s been a busy year for Michelle, who spent much of 2019 on her book tour, promoting her bestseller Becoming

‘What Julia and Steve capture on film is at times painful, at times exhilarating, but always thoughtful and always real — exactly the kind of story Barack and I wanted to lift up with Higher Ground Productions. 

‘I hope you’ll see for yourself by checking it out on @Netflix.’ 

Meanwhile Barack tweeted: ‘Glad to see American Factory’s Oscar nod for Best Documentary. It’s the kind of story we don’t see often enough and it’s exactly what Michelle and I hope to achieve with Higher Ground. 

‘Congrats to the incredible filmmakers and entire team!’ 

American Factory is set to battle it out for the Best Documentary Oscar against The Cave, The Edge of Democracy, For Sama and Honeyland. 

The documentary, which was released in August last year, follows a Chinese billionaire coming to Ohio to offer jobs at a reopened General Motors automotive plant.

It tells the story of employees struggling to adjust to new leadership at the plant in Moraine, Ohio, after it was reopened by Shanghai-based firm Fuyao Glass in 2015.

In the film, the workers’ excitement is quickly quashed by difficult working conditions, significantly lower pay and management that fires anyone who falls short of company standards and blocks attempts to unionize.