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The official portraits of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have been unveiled, and photographers have begun responding to Daniel Torok’s craftsmanship.
Torok serves as President Trump’s principal photographer, and his image of the 47th president rapidly ignited discussions regarding the photographer’s manipulation of illumination.
Within the r/photography subreddit, photographers deliberated whether the images were excessively bright. One photographer noted their belief that the images were “wildly altered” rather than illuminated professionally.
Indeed, Torok informs photography YouTuber Jared Polin that he was using studio lighting for the very first time. Capturing the official portrait for the President of the United States is a significant undertaking, especially when employing studio lighting for the debut.
Torok shares with Polin that he made use of Profoto lighting: one positioned in front, two on the shoulders, and one below Trump’s eye level, which accounts for the distinct impression of the president’s portrait, which Polin characterizes as “somewhat maniacal.”
“That is a very intriguing choice of lighting,” Polin remarks. Torok additionally indicates that he performed “hundreds” of adjustments to the images.
Trump’s Gaze
On Torok’s Instagram account, a film director inquires who oversaw Trump’s “super villain glare.” To which the photographer clarifies that he captured “a complete series of images and emotion ranges,” with the chosen image being the most favored. Torok notes that in the end, it is the president who makes the final decision.
Trump’s expression in the image has been compared to the expression he displayed in his mug shot taken at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta when he faced 13 charges, including racketeering.
Torok tells Polin that Trump’s mug shot was a direct influence on his official portrait, dubbing the latter “one of the most searched images, possibly ever.”
The BBC draws parallels between Trump’s demeanor and the work of 17th-century Italian Baroque painter Salvator Rosa, particularly his self-portrait Philosophy.
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