I’m really curious as to what would be heavily edited in this photo. Can you detail that?
–The First Lady has this rather….intense look on her face, as if she’s been sitting there too long with a smile that’s starting to feel phony and is thinking, “Just take the damn picture already!”
I don’t think it’s awful, but it’s undistinguished, and I don’t think the color of the room compliments their skin tone, so that looks weird. Compared to Obama’s official portrait, which I like, this is weak. They’re a good looking family and I’m surprised this was the best thing that came out of the session.
I can’t figure out what everybody’s talking about about Sasha’s hand.
It looks a little odd, because of how she’s holding it, but ‘disembodied’? The upper arm is clearly visible going behind her father’s neck on the Large or Original versions on Flickr (and even on Medium, it’s not that hard to see), and while he’s obscuring her shoulder and her biceps, it’s not hard to see how it goes from where it passes behind his neck and when it meets her body.
The problem is that, even with him sitting, and her standing, Barack’s taller. So her upper arm is lower than her forearm…then, combine that with the way she’s letting her wrist droop, gives a weird illusion about the shape of her arm.
I don’t think the First Lady’s smile is forced-looking. YMMV.
I just noticed the light-and-dark balance of the photo - the President and Sasha on the left mostly in white, the First Lady and Malia on the right in dark clothes.
Come to think of it, this is the first “official First Family photo” I can think of. I don’t remember the Bushes, Clintons, GHWB etc. having one - of if they did, it probably didn’t draw as much attention as this one. Having the youngest kids in the White House since Caroline and JFK Jr. might have something to do with it.
I am no expert, but choosing facial expressions from different photos and melding them into one isn’t out of the question. Neither is mixing different bodies from different photos (occasionally resulting in Photoshop Disasters). FTR, I don’t see any evidence of it here, not that I have a keen eye. Most of the notes about this Mad Men shoot are lost on me.
If I were Malia, I’d be screaming, “OMFG! Is my ASS really that GINORMOUS?”
Right, I see what you are saying now. But, with this Obama photo , I think it is pretty much on the mark, with some touch ups, but no over the top photoshopping. On my lunch hour today, I linked to a blindingly huge version of the photo, which actually told me that this was a high quality professional image, and didn’t give the usual —oh, but yeah-- little folderall with a lesser image. Probably some smoothing touch-ups.
The good quality of this photo is the way it makes a break from formal photos, not just the kids standing still next to their parents, but arms and hands touching, in loving gesture. It really is a breakthrough photo in terms of a First Family in modern terms, not just standing side to side, but being quite together. The more I look at it, the more I appreciate that.
Does everything always have to be the same?
I really like the way it makes them look like a real, authentically happy family. I think it’s awesome.
Sorry, I’m from NZ. I couldn’t tell you the names of John Key’s children either. Usually over here politicians’ private lives remain private.
I didn’t like it at first, but it really grew on me.
They look like a loving happy family. I like how the photo makes it feel like they live and belong in the White House. If doors were closed and things were centered and everything was perfectly framed, I think it would make the family look out of place. But as it is the photo manages to convey the two essential but contradictory messages- that they are a family of top standing, but also ordinary people. There manages to be some spontaneity in the picture without sacrificing it’s gravity.
The thing that bothers me the most is that Barack and youngest daughter* are both wearing white. I would have put the girl in a different outfit or switched them around.
Since I actually don’t see pics of the Obamlets too often, I found it interesting that the eldest looks a bit more like dad and the youngest more like mom, at least in my opinion.
It’s not my job to memorize the kids names. I have enough trouble keeping my own two straight.
I quite like it. It’s a slightly different take on the ‘family in a formal location’ thing. I guess we can’t have the Kennedy kids playing on the presidential carpets forever.
Couple of chairs pushed together, family bunched around for the shot, unconsidered/incidental background . . . casual.
Pretty good on first impression - they’re a photogenic family. It’s not done the youngest kid many favours, but she still looks genuine. Reading the thread I can see what people mean with the various minor flaws in it - the hand on Barack’s shoulder in particular looks odd, makes his daughter appear to have a very long arm. Still, first glance it’s a good piece IMO.
Agree.
Agree.
OTOH – thanks, whoever, for the link to that blog. I get Vogue and had a serious WTF reaction when I got the new issue – that’s the cover? Really?
Well, for all the things people do not like about it, the thing I notice is how beautiful Michelle is.
I think the picture is ok but what’s up with the puffy tube things on the bottom of Michelle’s dress??
Since the much revered Liebowitz shot it, it supposed to be really awesome. Not local pro photographer awesome.
This is a snapshot that anyone with a decent eye could have take. And it has all kinds of issues that distract the viewer from the important thing, the people being photographed.
Compare to her take on the Bush Administration: The Neoconservative Blame Game | Vanity Fair
Is there a string attached to Malia’s dress, pulling it to the right?
The more I look at this picture, the worse it appears. Do they get a do over next year?