President Trump’s new official portrait lacks pro lighting and definition
Nov 1, 2017
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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The White House have released new official portraits for both President Trump and Vice President Pence. Pence’s actually looks pretty good, but Trump’s? Not so much. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it just looks like a smartphone grab shot with ambient room light.
The portraits were shot by two different photographers. Shealah Craighead and D. Myles Cullen photographed Trump and Pence, respectively. The newly released Trump portrait does offer a more friendly pose and expression than the last one, but the bad lighting and messy background really lets it down.
Looking at the new vs old portraits side by side, neither are really all that flattering.
The old one, shot in January, has a definite uncomfortable feeling. The pose and expression are just a little bit… creepy. Despite this, and the weird blue background, it still sort of works for me, though. There’s clear separation of subject and background through depth of field and colour. The lighting, overall just seems much more thought out, it has depth. Even if the image is a bit more “reality star” than presidential.
The new one, by comparison, has no real depth at all. It seems a lot happier, sure, but it really just looks like ambient room light. Perhaps with a touch of a rim light coming through a window behind him on camera left. There’s far too much depth of field, and what’s the deal with that picture frame corner on the wall behind him?
And that photo comes from the official White House photographer, Shealah Craighead.
The Pence portrait, on the other hand was created by DoD photographer, D. Myles Cullen. And it’s rather good. “Head in a clean spot”, as Zack Arias has drilled into us for years. Good lighting showing depth and form. And a shallower depth of field taking focus off the background. Much more the style of portrait we’ve become accustomed to for high ranking government officials.
Now that the new photos have been released, they will begin to adorn post offices, federal and other government buildings across the USA.
Regardless of what one may think of the man himself, does this photograph really do justice to the position of President of the USA?
[via CNBC]
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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60 responses to “President Trump’s new official portrait lacks pro lighting and definition”
Fake smile on the American Dictator Trump.
Definitely does him justice. He’s the “unpresidented” president.
The one on the right looks better and I am just a illustrator/massage therapist. LOL
Top lighting. Horrible.
The original placeholder photo for Trump made him look like he wanted to kill somebody. If we really want to get political about this, Trump himself isn’t doing justice to the position of President of the USA.
The BEST they can do with so little to work with!
Yeah, the new portrait is better. He had no neck in the first portrait and he kinda looked like a cartoon vulture.
Both very straight on though. What happened to turning the body slightly three quarters on to the camera?
A presidential portrait should reflect the president’s character which this does best. Frame that beauty and pop it in the white house.
I’ve been saying the whole time that the Pisshead photos lack that professional look.
The squinting bothers me as well.
The photographer who took the photo of Pence should take over as White House Photographer. The person who took Trumps photos is either a bad photographer or they’re taking bad photos of him on purpose.
I’d like to think it’s purposely done.
Maybe it’s photoshopped and that’s the best they can do with his fake orange complexion. ?
I definitely could have done alot better!!!!as well as many others copuld have, was this taken with an IPHONE on the run!
Maybe it would be a good thing to learn how to spell a lot beforehand..
You know those people saying they only shoot with available light… so here’s the difference
The smile is better. Hard to work with a “tan” though. Both ok, bring out more dimension.
Political parties aside, you know those who says i only shoot with available light…
So here’s the difference between available light and lightning properly
To think she’s the official photographer
Taken with an iPhone
They were probably a driver for him at one time and he said, ‘you can take pictures right? You’re now the official WH photographer. Let me get you a big, really big, the best camera, so you can take, fantastic, the best, most beautiful pictures ever.’
To answer your question, no it does not. My question: Does this photo reflect the man in it?
Shit person, shit photo. Makes sense.
Orange can be difficult to light properly….??
Anyone think that Trump looks a bit like Carter in the above pic?
I think it’s deliberate. He wears badly tailored suits from the best tailor in the world just because we want’s look more like simple Joe, so his photo is just simple’s Joe selfie.
The Photoshop editing taking out his wrinkles wasn’t bad but overdoing taking the orange skin out and replacing it with white skin – the likes of which we have never seen before on him – is awful. His chin is also blurred, his tie is crooked. The flag is in focus, though, and that’s most important. The frame on the wall is a distraction. Composition 101 is free. Most likely, Ivanka, took the photo. Buy her some lessons.
Just awful!!! I can still tell who he is. Sad. Like you wouldn’t believe.
Who cares … Besides, the men do even less justice to both positions. Maybe the portraits aren’t the problem. One is a complete jackass and the other is a complete loon … ain’t got much to work with.
Wow, so much shadow on his face!
Someone run the EXIF!
Well it’s better than the original by far.
To be fair the photographer probably wanted to get in and out as fast as he could who’d want to be in a room with trump for an hour
I can imagine trying to direct him towards the spot where to take the photo and ask him to pose. He probably not an easy subject. Trump’s photo looks like it was cropped from a group shot
..after he shoved the other people in the group out of the way.
:-)
Probably another libtard photographer trying to make him look bad.
LOL
It’s not like anybody needs to try.
Well he’s not very bright and lacks definition as well…
Hillary’s photos are so much better, Bill’s too !
To really get that presidential look it should be up-lit with a green gel.
…. asthenic…. quality….. creativity…. decent subject matter……
It actually looks like he has been photoshopped onto the background.
He just sucks at everything.
No pro wants to get close to him, let alone fear of not getting full payment.
Whoa…..everyone relax….this portrait is perfect for Donald…..completely unprofessional and executed without much thought.
He just lit up the new to be President Pence And put that ? ? in the dark
nice piece of a picture frame thrown in for texture. Official photog is the niece of one of trump’s pals, no doubt.
Because he is not a pro and definitely in the dark
He isn’t that bright.
Pro lighting for a pro president. I would say he’s at the cellphone photo level of presidential quality.
you can lean everything from her instagram — https://www.instagram.com/shealahdcphoto/ — just meh photos show meh understanding of the craft resulting in meh photos of meh president … so in the meh aesthetic of the current administration is perfect, everything is basic- like ketchup on a well done filet mignon
It doesn’t do justice to the position of President of the USA but it’s a lot better than is worth doing for the current President of the USA.
Even Photoshop can’t color correct his orange reptilian skin.
A soft focus set at 100% might help… Or a large paper bag.
Let me rephrase that ‘ Does HE really do justice to the position of President of the USA?
These are the shittiest official photos I have ever seen. They look like drivers license shots.
OTOH- if they’re gonna hang in post offices, perhaps people will interpret them as America’s 10 most wanted photos.
Absolutely shitty, like the two assholes themselves.
If the “pro” photographer cannot prep, take charge of the session, and get the job done properly (she didn’t), she should have heard him say “You’re Fired!”
Disgusting portrait…..but could be worse …… his opponent in the role instead.
I feel sorry for the poor souls who can’t be civil and just critique a couple of photos.
If the client is happy, job done. That’s all there is to it. It doesn’t really look that much different than Biden’s and I don’t recall anyone losing their shit over that one. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joe_Biden_official_portrait_crop.jpg
Probably done by a stupid libtard.