Decipher the new official portrait of Donald Trump

Serious. Sinister. An “image with a message”.

These are some of the descriptions of The new official portrait of Donald Trump, captured by its chief photographer, Daniel Torok. In the photo, the president-elect displays a stern expression, with raised eyebrows.

“The official portrait of the president is the most printed and most viewed image of the president ever seen,” former White House photographer Eric Draper told the BBC.

He worked for George W Bush throughout his eight years as president, producing both of his official portraits.

Mr Draper’s first impression of Trump’s image was that it was “heavily manipulated” both by studio lighting and post-filming retouching.

The photo appears to use “monstrous” lighting, he added, to dramatically illuminate the president-elect from below and make his eyes stand out.

The lighting setup gives the image a “menacing” look often seen in horror films, said Eliska Sky, a portrait photographer at the London Institute of Photography. She compared Trump’s portrait to that of a boxer before a fight.

The lighting “suggests seriousness and intention”, according to Paul Duerinckx, lecturer in documentary photography at Swansea College of Art.

This image is striking, he added, because the light source in most photos is from above, like the sun or overhead lights, and inverting the source in this photo “tends to really have an effect on us.”

Many people on social media compared the photo to Donald Trump’s “mug photo,” taken in Georgia’s Fulton County Jail after he was accused of trying to overturn his defeat 2020 election – an accusation Trump denies.

Photography YouTuber Jared Polin said he discussed the portrait with Mr. Torok and was told that the passport photo had been a source of inspiration.

“The mug shot was one of the most searched images, maybe ever,” Polin says, Mr. Torok said. Mr Torok did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

The mug shot, taken in 2023, has become an integral part of American culture, adorning everything from coffee mugs to T-shirts.

The style of Trump’s new portrait is a departure from the appearance of his 2017 image and that of previous presidents, including George W. Bush.

“You definitely make photos to please the client, and in this case I think that’s the type of image they wanted to convey,” Mr Draper told the BBC.

He remembers sitting down with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush to review a selection of images before choosing their favorite.

“The idea was to give the impression of nice, pleasant lighting, a professional portrait, with a beautiful expression, because these photos will greet people when they walk into their post office,” he said. -he declared.

Andrew Parsons is a political photographer who worked for 13 years for four British prime ministers, from David Cameron to Liz Truss, including Boris Johnson.

“It’s a message photo, I’m sending you a message,” he said of the Trump photo. “It’s not like a hearty laugh, it’s a stern, hard look straight at the lens barrel.”

In contrast, Mr. Parsons said the 2017 iteration was a “businessman image of Donald Trump.”

It’s hard to overstate the importance of political images like Trump’s, he said. “An image can make or break a political campaign.”