"Reading" Media Pictures... How Deceptive are They?

It's amazing how a picture captured in a moment in time can be used to sway an audience one way or another.  In this picture, the photographer may have caught a glimpse of the president at a moment when he was carefully choosing his next words or he/she may have caught a moment just before the interview while the President was gathering his thoughts.  However, the intent of the photo is to capture the President as a 'broken man'.  His eyes are averted from the camera and the worry lines across his forehead are very apparent and deep.  The angle of the camera is such that the view makes it look as if his head is lowered.  Of course, from this same angle his gray hair is accentuated.  Many of us think of 'stress' when we see gray hair.  I know I do, even when I see them on my own head.   His shoulders are raised as if to say, "I don't know how to handle this situation".  His oxford shirt is professional but not much detail is shown; unlike the next picture where this same shirt gives more detail making it look a bit more casual.  The background is blurred, making his location confusing.  It is very apparent that the overall picture shows a stressed out man, that is not sure of his role as president.  Upon reading the article, the writer likens the Gulf oil spill to one of Jimmy Carter's downfalls.  A situation in which Carter lost all chances of winning another election.  This particular photo supports the story that the President's future is doomed.

It is amazing that this picture was taken the same day.  The President went from looking like a man in distress to a man full of confidence.  In this picture, Obama has a smile on his face.  His gait as well as the way he is holding himself up is much more confident.  This is aided by the fact that the camera angle is looking up from the ground giving him a superior appearance.  His Oxford shirt is rolled up at the ends painting a much more casual picture. While he may look superior, at the same time his clothing makes him look more like the common man. This gives him a personable appearance.  Furthermore... unlike the previous picture, the President is at the site of the oil spill.  This makes it look like he is tackling the issue head on.  He is not afraid to be close to the disaster and see it first hand.  This picture is far from the gray haired man with the stress wrinkles, who looked removed from the situation, portrayed in the previous picture.  Of course, this is exactly what the writer wanted to capture by using this particular picture.  The article uses phrases and words such as "poised to seize", "he's up to the enormous challenge", and "reassure".   This is a Presidential photo, not a photo of a 'broken man'.