This thread was locked on 2017-11-02 11:41:30
Photographer
Guss W
Posts: 10964
Clearwater, Florida, US
Yesterday (Halloween) the official White House portraits of the president and vice-president were released. I guess this was low-priority stuff, but with the time it took, I would have expected better. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-of … -trump-and Right-click the image to get the detailed view. Two different photographers were used and the difference is noticeable. Note the better saturation in the flag pin of Pence and how the thoughtfully blurred background leaves more attention on Pence. Trump on the other hand has to fight for attention with the cluttered background distraction. I guess no one told the photographer about straightening verticals either. You'd think someone so used to being a television personality would have wanted only the best.
Photographer
Frank Lewis Photography
Posts: 14487
Winter Park, Florida, US
I'm sure the photographers did the best they could with the subject matter available to them.
Photographer
Francisco Castro
Posts: 2628
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
It looks like President Trump's photograph was taken using overhead ambient lighting in some hallway in the White House, while Vice-President Pence's was shot using a studio setup, with softbox light at a more flattering 45 degrees. I agree about the non-cluttered look of the Veep's photo; what's up with showing just the frame and not even hint of the content of whatever painting/photo the President was posing with?
Artist/Painter
Hunter GWPB
Posts: 8179
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, US
Sometimes photos, such as crime scenes, are best if intentional blur is not included. I am sure that some people would consider the image to be the best presidential portrait ever.
Photographer
Jerry Nemeth
Posts: 33355
Dearborn, Michigan, US
Most likely these photos were taken under the pressure of the time available to shoot them.
Photographer
wr not here
Posts: 1632
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
I'm sure the photographers did the best they could with the subject matter available to them. Amateur President, amateur snapshot.
Photographer
Jerry Nemeth
Posts: 33355
Dearborn, Michigan, US
WR Photographics wrote:
Amateur President, amateur snapshot. Amateur political comment!
Photographer
Black Z Eddie
Posts: 1903
San Jacinto, California, US
WR Photographics wrote:
Amateur President, amateur snapshot. Lol! Pot...kettle.
Photographer
wr not here
Posts: 1632
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Black Z Eddie wrote:
Lol! Pot...kettle. At least I have no problems with being an amateur photographer.
Model
Jules NYC
Posts: 21617
New York, New York, US
How did Left-shark get the gig?
Photographer
Mark Salo
Posts: 11723
Olney, Maryland, US
WR Photographics wrote:
Amateur President, amateur snapshot. I resent political comments from foreigners.
Photographer
Lightcraft Studio
Posts: 13682
Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Jerry Nemeth wrote:
Most likely these photos were taken under the pressure of the time available to shoot them. Probably. Spending the time/cost for a super-duper photo portrait probably isn't real high on the priority list just yet. This one was probably done for the sake of the web site. Still, had it been me I would have not had that picture frame in the background like that.
The real portraits (for hanging in the National Portrait Gallery with all the other president's portraits) are oil paintings and are usually done toward the end of their time in office (except for Obama who had his done in his first months in office).
Photographer
kickfight
Posts: 35054
Portland, Oregon, US
Don looks like he's holding in a fart, 'cuz he's not sure if it's a fart or diarrhea.
Mike looks like he just farted and it was an actual fart.
Artist/Painter
Hunter GWPB
Posts: 8179
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, US
Mark Salo wrote:
I resent political comments from foreigners. You have to admit though, that an unprofessional looking portrait, or a less than outstanding portrait of the president of the United States, impacts people in other nations, which could mean they have a legitimate thought to express. Maybe they are not impacted in exactly the same way. But there is an impact none the less. For instance, they can laugh at it without feeling embarrassed. 
Photographer
Zack Zoll
Posts: 6895
Glens Falls, New York, US
Trump's portrait looks like it was taken back when he was still a real estate developer. It looks exactly the way you would expect a realtor from Virginia or Texas to look. It's not a shitty photo, but there are enough things that are just slightly off that it doesn't project any gravitas or feeling of ... Well, anything.
Pence's portrait is exactly as it should be. He looks friendly but professional, and being taken just barely below makes him look taller and more authoritative, without veering into a propaganda shot. I realize EVERY presidential portrait is propaganda, but you know what I mean.
If that's not the best photo I've ever seen of Pence, it's certainly in the running. Not to veer into the political too much, but going on what these guys actually stand for (as opposed to their behavior) , a liberal like me should be a lot more scared of Pence than Trump. The fact that this guy looks more like a president really says a lot about the quality of the image.
Photographer
wr not here
Posts: 1632
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Hunter GWPB wrote:
You have to admit though, that an unprofessional looking portrait, or a less than outstanding portrait of the president of the United States, impacts people in other nations, which could mean they have a legitimate thought to express. Maybe they are not impacted in exactly the same way. But there is an impact none the less. For instance, they can laugh at it without feeling embarrassed. It wasn't a political comment anyway. Facts rise above politics.
Photographer
Mark Salo
Posts: 11723
Olney, Maryland, US
WR Photographics wrote:
Amateur President, amateur snapshot. Mark Salo wrote:
I resent political comments from foreigners. Hunter GWPB wrote:
You have to admit though, that an unprofessional looking portrait, or a less than outstanding portrait of the president of the United States, impacts people in other nations, which could mean they have a legitimate thought to express. I take offense at the critique of the president, not the critique of the photo.
Photographer
Guss W
Posts: 10964
Clearwater, Florida, US
Jerry Nemeth wrote:
Most likely these photos were taken under the pressure of the time available to shoot them. When the young photographer Yousuf Karsh was allowed two minutes to get a photo of Winston Churchill. He seems to have done well with the time allotted. https://petapixel.com/2013/03/08/in-his … ost-cigar/ .
Photographer
Jerry Nemeth
Posts: 33355
Dearborn, Michigan, US
WR Photographics wrote:
It wasn't a political comment anyway. Facts rise above politics. You can deny it, but it was a sneaky political comment!
Photographer
Leonard Gee Photography
Posts: 18096
Sacramento, California, US
trump, as a photography subject, is one of those people that is not easy to photograph. politics aside, he always overplays to the world, and more so to a camera. if you look at any of his images, videos or face expressions in public; he is always "on". call it a character flaw or whatever. he can't help it.
the result is that getting a natural looking picture is difficult. i've run into subjects like that before. takes more time and tricks to get them to look "natural" because it's not their nature when a camera is nearby. at least someone got the orange tint out of his face and didn't burn out the hair. thank goodness for small favors.
a good portrait photographer can recognize the personality of the subject and has to direct them by correctly interacting with them; get them to relax. some people seem to push a facade out that patently looks fake.
p.s. white house photographer shealah craighead (picked by trump himself) took pous' portrait, while pence's was taken by his photographer, d. myles cullen. the trump photo has a very small catchlight in one eye - it was not lite by overhead ambient. maybe the release on halloween is the clue.
Model
IDiivil
Posts: 4615
Los Angeles, California, US
Guss W wrote:
When the young photographer Yousuf Karsh was allowed two minutes to get a photo of Winston Churchill. He seems to have done well with the time allotted. https://petapixel.com/2013/03/08/in-his … ost-cigar/ . Wow, that's an awesome portrait of Churchill.
Artist/Painter
Hunter GWPB
Posts: 8179
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, US
Mark Salo wrote:
I take offense at the critique of the president, not the critique of the photo. My comment wasn't political either.
However, if it was political, it would still be true. If I did something that impacted the world, the world could have legitimate comments to make. On MM, I can post a picture and be outraged at an unsolicited critique. I am not aware of anywhere else where responses to my pictures or comments are so constrained as they are on MM. Or my responses to others.
There must be something else we can talk about other than that inadequate piece of work.
Photographer
LightDreams
Posts: 4428
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hunter GWPB wrote:
There must be something else we can talk about other than that inadequate piece of work. I think that's why it's gotten so much attention...
This is an official Presidential portrait taken by someone the Whitehouse hired as an official full-time Whitehouse photographer, and the Whitehouse approved result really is just exactly as you described it, an "inadequate piece of work". No surprise that it raised more than a few eyebrows...
Artist/Painter
Hunter GWPB
Posts: 8179
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, US
LightDreams wrote:
I think that's why it's gotten so much attention...
This is an official Presidential portrait taken by someone the Whitehouse hired as an official full-time Whitehouse photographer, and the Whitehouse approved result really is just exactly as you described it, an "inadequate piece of work". No surprise that it raised more than a few eyebrows... Yes, yes. I am glad it was clear that I was talking about the photo.
Photographer
wr not here
Posts: 1632
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Mark Salo wrote:
WR Photographics wrote:
Amateur President, amateur snapshot. Mark Salo wrote:
I resent political comments from foreigners. I take offense at the critique of the president, not the critique of the photo. Is your president acting like a professional compared to the 44 that preceded him?
I can't help your snowflake worthy meltdown because you don't like the facts at hand.
Photographer
LightDreams
Posts: 4428
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Hunter GWPB wrote:
Yes, yes. I am glad it was clear that I was talking about the photo. Hah!
Looking at the photo again, I can't help thinking that's the sort of squinting and forced smile you get when you're sweet Aunt wants to take a photo and tells everyone to "Say Cheeeeese". Seriously, think about how your face contorts saying "Cheeeeeese" and then check out the photo again. Really!
Yousuf Karsh yanking out Churchill's cigar to get a reaction, this is most definitely not.
Photographer
wr not here
Posts: 1632
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
LightDreams wrote:
Hah!
Looking at the photo again, I can't help thinking that's the sort of squinting and forced smile you get when you're sweet Aunt wants to take a photo and tells everyone to "Say Cheeeeese". Seriously, think about how your face contorts saying "Cheeeeeese" and then check out the photo again. Really!
Yousuf Karsh yanking out Churchill's cigar to get a reaction, this is most definitely not. The expression in Trump’s photo is the smug, self satisfied expression that is typical of him. Its an “I’m the President and you aren’t” expression. It tells me that he thinks very little of the position he is in beyond the prestige that he thinks it gives. It’s the same sort of juvenile shit eating expression that you would see on a 17 year old boy who won his high school’s Mr. Popularity contest.
Whether this is a failing of Trump’s personality or the skills of the photographer I have no comment on, as that would probably get me accused of making political comments by people who want to find offence.
The photo of Mr. Pence is very good, and portrays an image of a man who knows exactly what position he is in, and knows how important that position is. It is an image of a man who respects the office he is holding. I don’t believe the picture of Trump succeeds at projecting that sort of message, in fact, to me it projects exactly the opposite.
Photographer
Barry Kidd Photography
Posts: 3351
Red Lion, Pennsylvania, US
Leonard Gee Photography wrote:
trump, as a photography subject, is one of those people that is not easy to photograph. My favorite shot of Trump was snapped many years ago by Joe McNally. I've always like the shot since I first saw it in his book "The Moment it Clicks"
![https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7Vw4v-GV3xE/hqdefault.jpg]()
Photographer
Black Z Eddie
Posts: 1903
San Jacinto, California, US
WR Photographics wrote:
The expression in Trump’s photo is the smug, self satisfied expression that is typical of him. Its an “I’m the President and you aren’t” expression. It tells me that he thinks very little of the position he is in beyond the prestige that he thinks it gives. It’s the same sort of juvenile shit eating expression that you would see on a 17 year old boy who won his high school’s Mr. Popularity contest.
Whether this is a failing of Trump’s personality or the skills of the photographer I have no comment on, as that would probably get me accused of making political comments by people who want to find offence.
The photo of Mr. Pence is very good, and portrays an image of a man who knows exactly what position he is in, and knows how important that position is. It is an image of a man who respects the office he is holding. I don’t believe the picture of Trump succeeds at projecting that sort of message, in fact, to me it projects exactly the opposite. The little cry-babying just never stops does it. lol. So, you're judging his ability to lead based on his photo. I get the feeling you're gettin' ready to pull out that pink costume, again.
But, anyways, I agree that photo of our President does suck. Even the GWC's of this site that has over 35 years experience, but, manage to not improve, could have done a better job.
Photographer
wr not here
Posts: 1632
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Black Z Eddie wrote:
The little cry-babying just never stops does it. lol. So, you're judging his ability to lead based on his photo. I get the feeling you're gettin' ready to pull out that pink costume, again. Your personal attacks on me should be beneath an adult.
Sad.
I have not judged his ability to lead anywhere in this thread, it's something I really don't need to do. You can stop with the strawman arguments any time.
If you are able to read with the intention to understand rather than with the intention to respond, we could probably have an adult conversation about the photograph. Are you up to it? I have my doubts, but am happy to have you prove me wrong.
But, anyways, I agree that photo of our President does suck. Even the GWC's of this site that has over 35 years experience, but, manage to not improve, could have done a better job. Another personal attack? Grow up. You are behaving like a 14 year old troll living in mommy's basement.
Photographer
Jerry Nemeth
Posts: 33355
Dearborn, Michigan, US
WR Photographics wrote:
Your personal attacks on me should be beneath an adult.
Sad.
I have not judged his ability to lead anywhere in this thread, it's something I really don't need to do. You can stop with the strawman arguments any time.
If you are able to read with the intention to understand rather than with the intention to respond, we could probably have an adult conversation about the photograph. Are you up to it? I have my doubts, but am happy to have you prove me wrong.
Another personal attack? Grow up. You are behaving like a 14 year old troll living in mommy's basement. What do you think that you are doing?
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