The official portrait of the newly elected American president, taken by his chief photographer, Daniel Torok, conveys a strong message, according to experts. In this image, Donald Trump appears frowning, slightly leaning forward, with a frozen gaze.
The first thing American citizens will see when they enter government offices and departments over the next four years will be a portrait of a very serious Donald Trump.
Experts contacted by the BBC have interpreted the message conveyed by this photograph and the way it was taken.
"The official portrait of the president is the most printed, the most seen image of the president," said former White House photographer Eric Draper to the BBC. He worked for George W. Bush throughout his eight years in office and took both official portraits of the former president.
Draper's first impression of Trump's portrait is that the image has been significantly manipulated, both through the studio's reverse lighting and post-shoot retouching.
The photograph seems to have strong bottom-up lighting to present the elected president in a dramatic way and make his eyes stand out.
The lighting configuration gives the image a "foreboding" look, commonly found 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," said Paul Duerinckx, senior lecturer in documentary photography at the Swansea College of Art.
This image is striking, he added, because the light source in most photographs comes from above, like the sun or ceiling lights, and the reversal of the source in this photograph "does indeed have an effect on us."
Many social media users have compared the power of this photograph to that of Trump taken at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia after he was accused of forcibly overturning his 2020 election loss - an accusation Trump denies.
Photography YouTuber Jared Polin said he discussed the portrait with its author. "The jail photo was one of the most sought-after images, perhaps ever," Polin claims Torok told him.
The image, taken in 2023, has become part of American culture, printed on various items, from coffee mugs to t-shirts.
"Obviously, you take pictures to please the client, and in this case, I think this is the type of image they wanted to present," said Draper.
He recalled that together with former President George Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, they carefully studied a selection of images before choosing their favorite. "The idea was to look pleasant, to look like a professional portrait, with a pleasant expression, as these photographs will greet people when they enter their post office," he said.
On the other hand, Andrew Parsons, a political photographer who worked for four British prime ministers from David Cameron to Liz Truss, as well as for Boris Johnson, believes that the 2017 image was "an image of businessman Donald Trump," and the official portrait of the new president is more politically significant. "A picture can make or break a political campaign," he said.
T.D.