Official White House photographer Pete Souza has dubbed first lady Michelle Obama "Hugger-in-Chief" and hand-selected a number of pictures to prove it.

For Medium.com he writes:

President Obama may be the Commander-in-chief. But clearly his wife–First Lady Michelle Obama–is the hugger-in-chief. My staff and I have been photographing her since Inauguration Day, and as the following photographs clearly show, she’s been hugging people nonstop since Day 1. Whether it’s a school child, a family member in peril, a surprised tourist, or even a famous person, the First Lady greets them with a hug":

Mrs. Obama told Souza that hugging is her "first instinct" when greeting people. "I've always been a big hugger," she said. "That's just how I am."

Souza has been witness to these hugs and says he usually sees "lots of smiles and sometimes tears of joy" from those on the receiving end.

"Hugging is how I connect to people–how I show warmth and make folks feel at home," Mrs. Obama said. “I think it puts folks at ease and shows them that while I might happen to have a fancy title, I’m just Michelle."

Here is a selection of those photos. See them all here.