NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with David Hume Kennerly, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who has photographed 10 U.S. presidents, about former President Trump’s mugshot.
Photography
See How Photographers Reimagine Old Master Paintings
By Admin in Photography

“Art About Art” features photos inspired by old masters, such as Double Mona Lisa (Peanut Butter and Jelly) by Vik Muniz.
Vik Muniz
As the Princeton University Art Museum undergoes renovations, its old master paintings remain behind closed doors. Still, even in storage, such works are the inspiration behind a new show, which opened on August 19: “Art About Art: Contemporary Photographers Look at Old Master Paintings.”
“As we rebuild, I wanted to remind the students and community at large that we have wonderful old master paintings in the collection that we can’t show at this time,” Ronni Baer, a curator of the exhibition, tells the Observer’s Casey Epstein-Gross.
“Art About Art” features 13 contemporary artists’ reimaginings of old master works. The show will be on view at the museum’s Art on Hulfish gallery while the main museum is closed for construction.
In two photos from Nina Katchadourian’s Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style, the artist uses toilet paper to mimic features of the attire of a 15th-century Flemish couple. Nina Katchadourian
“This exhibition reveals how vital the art of the past remains to many artists working today,” says Baer in a statement from the museum. “The selection will encourage viewers to consider how contemporary photographers respond in various ways to famous compositions, seek to explore emotions as expressed in historical paintings, address issues of identity that were as pressing then as now and apply new technologies in surprising ways.”
Photos on display include Vik Muniz’s Double Mona Lisa (Peanut Butter and Jelly), inspired by Andy Warhol’s prints from the 1960s. The piece recreates the famous Leonardo da Vinci twice over—once in peanut butter, once in jelly.
Also on view is a diptych from Nina Katchadourian’s series Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style. The artist poses as both the man and woman of a 15th-century Flemish couple, using toilet paper to portray distinctive features of their attire.
In another work, Ori Gersht crafts an arrangement in the style of European still life paintings. He then destroys the fruit in it, capturing the exact moment of explosion.
Pomegranate (Off Balance) by Ori Gersht captures the moment a pomegranate in a still life arrangement is destroyed. Ori Gersht
The show is part of Princeton’s mission to “assure that works of the past can still be understood as living, breathing objects that were contemporary in their own time, and thus still have the capacity to spark inquiry,” says James Steward, the museum’s director, in the statement.
The exhibition explores centuries-old themes such as “identity and the fleetingness of life and … how we choose to live,” Baer tells Artnet’s Taylor Dafoe. For example, Jeanette May’s Dot Matrix, from the series Tech Vanitas, plays on the vanitas paintings of the Netherlands in the 17th century, which juxtaposed the inevitability of death with the trappings of affluence. However, rather than silk or ornate goblets, May’s photos feature obsolete technology thrown to the side in the pursuit of the next big thing.
Jeanette May’s Dot Matrix, from the series Tech Vanitas, puts a contemporary twist on 17th-century Dutch still life paintings. Jeanette May
“I think the exhibition provides inspirational teaching opportunities, raising questions about identity and iconicity and how and why artists engage with the art of the past,” Baer tells the Observer. At the same time, however, the show is designed to have a wide appeal, offering explorations of existential questions alongside “moments of fun and whimsy and discovery.”
“Some of the art is serious,” says Baer to Artnet. “But I hope people come and laugh.”
“Art About Art: Contemporary Photographers Look at Old Master Paintings” is on view at Art on Hulfish in Princeton, New Jersey, through November 5.
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‘Crank it up!’: Photographer opens new Bethlehem studio, offering inspired youth sports portraits
By Admin in Photography
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A seasoned Lehigh Valley photographer is offering new services, including professional youth sports portraits, at a new studio in Northampton County.
Timothy Gangi, known for his wedding and engagement photography, in early August opened New Street Studios at 823 New St. in downtown Bethlehem.
Lehigh Valley photographer Timothy Gangi in early August opened New Street Studios at 823 New St. in downtown Bethlehem. The studio offers sports portraits, headshots, commercial work and more. It is an expansion of Gangi’s existing business, Gangi Photography, which has specialized in wedding and engagement photography since 2013.
Ryan Kneller
The studio is an expansion of Gangi’s existing business, Gangi Photography, which has specialized in wedding photography since 2013.
At the new studio, Gangi is focusing on sports portraits, headshots and commercial work.
He’s especially excited to dive into the sports arena and capture images of talented young athletes in their best light.
New Street Studios
Posts on the studio’s Facebook page invite parents to book a session for their “little champion” and “future pros.”
“Why settle for the same old cheesy school photos!” the post continues. “Let’s crank it up!”
“When I was growing up, kids’ sports photos were pretty basic with cheesy backgrounds of lightning bolts or not-so-great bleachers and stadiums,” Gangi said.
“But today, with more advanced technology, we can really capture a kid’s grit and determination in crisper and more creative photos. So, I’m looking forward to offering parents unique, lasting images of their kids, while also helping boost the kids’ confidence levels as well.”
Gangi, who graduated from Penn State University with a fine arts degree in 2006, has been a creative individual his entire life.
Before focusing on photography after college, he devoted much of his time to painting and drawing. He also enjoys playing the guitar.
Gangi Photography has specialized in wedding and engagement photography since 2013.
Gangi Photography
With his wedding photography, he captures small details in both candid and posed shots.
He utilizes creative photographic techniques, including various lighting methods, to capture vibrant and artistically composed images.
He also enjoys taking advantage of picturesque landscapes and breathtaking scenery at regional wedding venues, including Folino Estate in Greenwich Township, Woodstone Country Club in Lehigh Township and Glasbern Inn in Weisenberg Township.
“My strengths come from my strong creative background and pursuing the arts my entire life with a constant appreciation for the beautiful world around us,” Gangi said.
Gangi Photography has associate photographers to elevate clients’ experiences.
Two photographers bring “twice the lense power” and make sure that no fleeting detail is overlooked at your wedding, Gangi said. They also bring a diverse range of artistic styles and perspectives.
Gangi Photography has specialized in wedding and engagement photography since 2013.
Gangi Photography
“Our collaborative efforts will leave you with a timeless treasure trove of memories to relive and cherish for a lifetime,” Gangi said.
At his new studio, Gangi also is looking to expand his services to include pet and family portraits and more unique offerings such as iris photography.
“The iris is the colored part of the eye, and every iris is 100% unique,” Gangi said. “So, I could capture close-up shots of every family member’s iris and arrange them together. It would be more artistic and definitely a talking piece for your home.”
To book a consultation or for more information on photography services, visit newstreetstudios.com or gangiphotography.com. Info: 609-577-5532.
Robert Irwin Continues Family Legacy of Conservation Through Photos
By Admin in Photography

For some people, being born into one of the world’s most famous animal conservation families would come with a great amount of pressure. But not for Robert Irwin. His family, led by the late Steve Irwin, are pioneers in the field and renowned for the work they do. Irwin, who was just 2 years old when his father passed away tragically, has not only taken up the legacy of his father, but has carved his own path as an award-winning wildlife photographer. Now 19 years old, he’s brought together some of his best work in a coffee table book titled Robert Irwin’s Australia.
From the time he was 13 years old, Irwin has been honing his craft. Using his artistic talents, Irwin has been able to shed light on important conservation issues and spotlight incredible wildlife that is in desperate need of help. This, combined with the work he and his family do at the Australia Zoo, make him a force to be reckoned with in the conservation world.
As Irwin leaves his teen years behind, we thought it was time to check in with the talented photographer. Read on for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview, where he reflects back on his growth over the past six years and looks ahead to what’s on the horizon.


We first covered your work when you were 13 years old, and now here you are, leaving your teens. What do you think has been the biggest change in how you approach photography over the years?
First of all, thank you for being there close to the beginning of my photographic career. I am delighted to chat with My Modern Met once again all these years later!
I think the biggest change in my approach to photography has been how story-driven I have become. When I am out and about photographing, I give a lot of thought to the story I wish to tell in each image and the message I want to send. I try to put myself into situations and visit places where I can capture photos that shine a light on important conservation and environmental issues.


How do you think you’ve grown as a wildlife photographer in these last six years?
I hope that in these last six years, my reach and voice have grown and that I can inspire even more people through the images that I take. In my growth and progression as a photographer, I have tried to diversify, try new things, and take new opportunities. The most recent and rewarding of which was releasing my Australia, By Robert Irwin photography coffee table book. It really was a summation of my journey behind the lens and gave me time to reflect on just how far I have come over the years.


What drives you to continue to be a voice and advocate for animals?
Having the opportunity to travel the world through my passion for photography and my family’s conservation work, I have been blessed with perspective. I have had the opportunity to see endangered species on the brink, devastation after wildfires, rainforest deforestation disrupting the balance of nature, and the profound effect of climate change in the arctic circle. Seeing things like that makes one realize that inaction is not an option. Our natural world is in desperate need of warriors ready to fight for our future and inspire others to do the same. There is an important balance to strike—showcase the stark reality of the uphill environmental battle we face and also reinforce a sense of hope that there is still time to make positive change.


Moving into your 20s, what do you hope to accomplish?
As I move into my 20s, I am so excited by this new chapter and all that I wish to achieve. I hope to further extend my reach and my platform, as I start to really address the big problems that face our world, no matter how controversial they might be. I think it is so important to give people hope for the future by sharing the beauty of the natural world. I am looking forward to taking on new projects—one of which is to expand into a set of photography books. After releasing Australia, I plan on producing an Africa and North America book.


Aside from your father, who else in the conservation world inspires you and why?
My parents will definitely always be my biggest inspiration. They really were conservation pioneers and made conservation mainstream…no easy feat! But, there are also so many others in the conservation field that I look up to and have had the honor of working with. There are so many people I could name, but there are a few that stand out in my mind.
Peter Gash and the Gash family are leaders in reef conservation at Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef, of course Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen as legendary oceanic conservation heroes with their fantastic Sea Legacy charity, and David Prior and his incredible family who operate the Prior Family Foundation definitely must have a mention. I could go on and on when it comes to conservationists that inspire me.


What’s the next big challenge that you would like to give yourself as a photographer?
I feel that when it comes to wildlife photography there is always a new challenge. There are the big challenges and milestones like launching a new gallery or a new book, and then there are the challenges that come in the form of a new species or location. I am always on the lookout for a new endangered or rare type of animal to capture on camera and constantly add new locations to my very long list of where to photograph. Gorillas and polar bears are high on the list for me right now.


What advice would you give to young photographers who are curious about shooting wildlife?
First of all, believe in yourself and have the courage to seize opportunity when it comes. Focus more on developing your own photographic style than the gear you use, and take a lot of photos. When I say a lot, I mean A LOT. Photograph everything, make it more than just a hobby, but a lifestyle. Have a camera with you always, and if you don’t have one, keep looking around you and think about what would make a great photo.
Never lose sight of the message you want to send with the pictures that you take. Own a film camera at some point in your photographic career. And spend one month only photographing with that camera, and one prime lens.
Lastly, and most importantly, take photos for you and nobody else. That doesn’t mean you can’t still share your images with the world, but when you are pressing the shutter, take the photo that makes you feel fulfilled and does justice to your style.


Robert Irwin: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Robert Irwin.
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Robert Irwin Shares the Joys of “Uncle Life” Alongside Niece in Adorable Selfie
Robert Irwin Recreates an Iconic Photo of Dad Steve Irwin and Looks Just Like Him
A Very Patient Robert Irwin Tries to Help an Aggressive Bird Overcome Her Anger Management Issues
Announcing the winners of the 2023 Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year competition
By Admin in Photography
As dawn broke on September 30, 2019, Jean-Christophe Lemay was high in the Chic-Choc mountains on Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula. It was his last chance to see the Gaspé caribou herd before the area closed for mating season. As the sun rose, Lemay realized something astonishing: he was surrounded by 14 caribou — nearly half the Gaspé population at the time. “I spent six or seven hours shooting videos, photos and just enjoying the moment,” says Lemay. “I couldn’t leave, it was so surreal. I think, to this day, it was my favourite day in nature.”
The memory remains a high point for the 32-year-old wildlife photographer, who was born in Ottawa and raised in L’Orignal, Ont. Lemay has long been inspired by the stunning nature that surrounds Rimouski, Que., where he moved in 2010 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology and has remained ever since. But his first photographic love wasn’t wildlife; it was the ocean. Summer surfing trips to the east coast of the U.S. in his youth allowed Lemay to hone his craft, shooting photos of waves and surfers with his first camera, a small waterproof Pentax W80.
While at university, his appreciation of wildlife grew. Icy Rimouski winters froze any chance of shooting the waves of the St. Lawrence River, but his studies provided no shortage of animal subjects. “I think foxes have to be the animal I’ve photographed the most,” says Lemay. “They’re everywhere, they’re photogenic and people love them. But my favorite is the Canada lynx. They’re just so mysterious and captivating, such beautiful animals. At the same time, they’re very elusive, so it’s kind of a challenge.”
Lemay’s ethereal wildlife portraits have since appeared in magazines such as Nature Sauvage, Canadian Geographic, and Beside, and have earned him a huge following on social media. In June, Lemay opened his first boutique and gallery, JC Lemay Photo, in Rimouski. As for the future, Lemay has a simple goal: “It’s a huge privilege to be doing this as a full-time career. I just want to keep doing this forever.”
Singulart is an Online Art Gallery that Empowers Photographers
By Admin in Photography
Singulart is an online art gallery featuring work from artists worldwide across a diverse range of mediums, including photography. With a team of art advisors available 24/7, customers can find the perfect artwork and have it delivered straight to their homes.
Full disclosure: This article was brought to you by Singulart
There are many ways to browse Singulart to find the right piece. Users can filter by medium, price, theme, style, technique, country of origin, display orientation, size, and color. In addition to types of art like paintings, drawings, and photographs, Singulart also sells more unusual mediums, like sculptures and textiles.
For example, when the photography medium is selected, the theme dropdown menu changes to show different genres, like fine art, landscape, portrait, urban, nature, conceptual, and more. Customers can also pick from various “photography movements,” including color, black and white, digital, analog, sepia, panoramic, and more. In a similar spirit, “photography techniques” includes analog, digital, and hybrid options.

Finding the Perfect Photo
Cutting Through the Noise
There are so many benefits of photo-sharing platforms such as Flickr and Instagram. They enable people to share their favorite photos with friends, family, and strangers.
However, platforms like these are nearly impossible to use for anyone trying to find the perfect photo to purchase. Since it is so easy to share images, there is just a staggering amount of photography to wade through.
Even though many photographers create stunning work, some art buyers are seeking the perfect piece for their space and hoping to buy from a renowned artist. Singulart explains a bit about each artist on its platform, including their achievements within the art world. A personal connection to a piece is critical, and Singulart helps make this possible, even online.

Singulart cuts through all the noise by delivering a curated art gallery featuring professional work. Due to the filters mentioned above, it is an extremely straightforward way to buy art online.
Using Singulart to Find Dynamic Nature Photographs
I love nature photography. Like many others, I enjoy doing it for myself. However, I also love seeing how other artists see the world around them and translate the feeling and spirit of nature into a two-dimensional space.
It is easy enough to start the search for the perfect nature photo on Singulart using Photography and Nature filters. Photos are shown in a scrolling gallery separated by individual artists.

There are a lot of artists to scroll through — nearly 300. While a highly curated platform means there may be fewer pieces than a website where everyone can sell their work, buyers can feel more confident in every item available and more easily find what they want.
Back to the search for dynamic nature photos. I very quickly found an exciting artist, Ivona Zubakova. Visiting the Slovakian artist’s page on Singulart shows her portfolio of available work and her credentials. She is nationally known within Slovakia, is an established artist, and has had solo exhibitions. From her page, people can also follow her to stay updated with anything she adds to Singulart.
While Zubakova is talented across multiple disciplines and does some wonderful portraiture work, I want a nature image. This is a great option.

Once a person finds a piece they are interested in, there are a few options for trying to acquire it. The photo, printed on 33x24in paper, is listed for $2,060. While that is not unreasonable, it may be outside the budget of a prospective purchaser. In that case, instead of clicking “Acquire this Artwork,” they can select the “Make an Offer” option to negotiate with the artist.
The final price is all-inclusive, including 7-10 day professional delivery. Singulart also offers free 14-day returns, framing options, and original work ships with a certificate of authenticity.
Surreal and Serene Nature
While Zubakova’s “Iceland” print is an excellent fit for many different walls in a home, I want something a bit more surreal as a conversation piece. I still want a photo that is related to nature, but I want something a bit more unusual and very different from anything I would personally create. Being able to experience familiar emotions in a very different way is one of the best parts of viewing the art that others create.
Chinese multidisciplinary artist Kaixuan Feng has a diverse portfolio of photographs, paintings, and textiles. Her image, “Don de Soi ( No XXVII )” is an excellent example of precisely the type of photograph I love to look at but would be wholly unable to capture myself. It represents a way of seeing the world that is elusive and beautiful.

“Don de Soi,” which translates to self-sacrifice, is a series of photographs by Feng that each place a woman within a natural scene.
“Historic and deserted places, she finds there. Through her photographs in which she stages herself, she magnifies these ruins settings and brings them back to life. Kaixuan Feng offers doubly stolen moments. Each photograph becomes a scene of reincarnation. Thanks to digital technology, the artist encrusts details which are so many narrative elements. The photographs are composed like dives into lost time. Telling history and history, this well-established distinction between the path of the individual and the collective, such is the ambition of Kaixuan Feng,” explains a translated description on the photo’s page.
It is a framed print and the second of a five-edition run. Feng is a rising star in the art world and has been internationally shown. She was recently featured in Singulart’s guide, “Top 10 Photographers to Watch.”
Finding the Perfect Color
Another common scenario for people searching for the perfect art to hang on their walls is trying to find something that fits the mood or color of a room. While white or gray walls may be conducive to just about any sort of photo, colored walls, such as perhaps a slate blue, may not work well with just any color.

Taking that example further, I love cool/warm contrasts. With a blue backdrop, I want a photograph that heavily emphasizes orange. Better yet, I want to purchase something created using analog camera technology.
Selecting “analog” as the photography technique and picking red, dark orange, and light orange colors — you can choose as many colors as you want — it is time to find the perfect photo.
I am glad I picked red and orange, because Aurore Millet’s image, “Sublime 2, 2010,” is the absolute perfect photo to hang on a slate blue wall.

The Value of an Online Art Gallery
What makes Singulart special in the online art space is the platform’s impressive focus on photography. Many art galleries emphasize more traditional artistic mediums such as painting and drawing. It is really great to see a gallery that celebrates the beauty of photography and showcases the work that talented photographers and multi-disciplinary artists create.
Further, Singulart enables people to find prints from photographers that they might never see otherwise. While it is great to be able to meet an artist in person at an exhibition or local gallery, that limits people to a relatively small group of artists. There are few places to see art in person for people like me who live in a very rural area.
Of course, seeing a print on a website is different from seeing it in person, which is why Singulart’s return policy is so important. Sometimes even beautiful work is not the right fit for someone once they receive the piece.
Singulart works very hard to cultivate an inclusive space. Just about half of its artists and designers are women, for example. Some disciplines, including photography, have often been male-dominated, so it is brilliant to not only see photographers that may otherwise go unnoticed outside their home nations but also to see more women artists showcased.

While application reviews are currently on hold due to an overwhelming number of artist applications, photographers are encouraged to apply to join Singulart.
There is so much incredible photography out there, and Singulart is a great place to view and purchase prints from talented artists.
Full disclosure: This article was brought to you by Singulart
Image credits: High-resolution images courtesy of Singulart, artists credited in the captions.
Photographer Ruddy Roye fishes along Lake Erie with his camera
By Admin in Photography
Jamaican-born photographer Ruddy Roye has only caught one fish in his life, but he understands the patience needed to catch one.
A few years ago, Roye moved to Northeast Ohio from Brooklyn, and he recently discovered the allure of Cleveland fishing along the Lake Erie shore at the East 55th Street Marina.
He’s fishing not for walleye, but for images with his camera.
Ruddy Roye
“Actually, whenever I talk to [the fishermen], I say to them that, ‘Me getting an image equates to you getting one fish,’” Roye said. “I’m waiting for that one fish to come into my frame.”
From talking with people who are fishing, Roye said he realized that many see the popular fishing spot as a sanctuary from the city’s gun violence.
Ruddy Roye
“The more I delved into each particular fisherman’s story, the more I got it’s a place of peace away from Kinsman and East Cleveland,” Roye said.
For more than 20 years, Roye was based out of New York City as a freelance photojournalist working for publications like Time, The New York Times, The New Yorker, ESPN, Ebony and Essence magazines.
Ruddy Roye
He moved his family to Cleveland Heights after a successful residency with the Cleveland Print Room and the Cleveland Public Library in 2019.
“I remember coming to Cleveland every other weekend, driving around. Then I realized that there were things here that I could photograph,” he said. “Of all the states that I have worked in, lived in, Cleveland afforded me a space that made me feel like I was a photographer again.”
Now Roye’s focus is the men and women who fish for walleye and perch at the marina.
Ruddy Roye
“It takes time to make somebody feel comfortable with you being in their relaxation space. In their space of, ‘I want to get into my Zen right now. I don’t really need a camera shoved into my face,’” he said.
Roye said he’s a people person which helps him talk to those he photographs before he picks up his camera.
Dave DeOreo
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Ideastream Public Media
“I always try to connect on a human level,” he said. “I’m trying to tell a story that also exists in me. It’s very rare that I go outside of me to tell a story. I usually connect with something that I’ve already gone through, I’ve seen, and I try to make that connection.”
His art is a self-help tool of sorts.
“I’ve always felt like photography was the thing that I used to grow to be a better person, to be a better man, to be a better seer, to be a better philosopher, to be a better father,” he said. “Photography is something I hold dearly, and I do appreciate the way it has allowed me to be a better person.”
Roye plans to continue with this series and expand upon it for a future exhibition.
Trump’s mugshot reviewed: ‘He looks like Stephen Fry as General Melchett in Blackadder’
By Admin in Photography
We do not know if Donald Trump’s hairdresser and makeup artists blow-dried and primped the former US president on his flight from Mar-a-Lago to Atlanta, but it seems likely. By the time he surrendered at Fulton, like that other fading star Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard, Trump was ready for his close-up. The celebrity mugshot, after all, is more about performance art and political statement than mere police documentation.
Trump makes the best of what he has. Or his people do. Is it possible they brokered a deal with the sheriff to change the wattage of the overhead lightbulb to make it less harsh? Boldly leaning forward so we can study his thatch, and see where toupee ends and pate begins, it’s a performance that perhaps, like his hairpiece, is poised to become unstuck. The red-rimmed eyes suggest tiredness. Perhaps – let me dream – he’s been crying over his comeuppance. And the sternness of the expression seems almost self-satirising.

Trump’s gaze seems risible precisely because he is trying so hard to look serious. In this, he’s channelling the spirits of long-dead virtuosos of the mugshot. In Stalin’s, from 1911, we see the tousle-haired revolutionary arrested by Tsarist police for fomenting unrest. His stare – like Trump’s but more calm and scornful – suggests the establishment has no authority over him. In Martin Luther King’s 1956 mugshot, taken after his arrest during bus boycotts, he stares back at the cops who booked him, and by extension white America, with a hint of scorn and rage but with dignity nonetheless.
Trump could do with a little of that dignity in his self-righteous fury. Yet King’s dignity is beyond Trump – and nor can the ex-president look quite as scary as Stalin. At least he was able to avoid the rookie mistakes made by, for example, wild-haired James Brown caught unawares. Trump, for all his shortcomings, isn’t naive enough to let himself be captured for posterity like that.
Instead, he quotes from mugshot history. Yet, for all that it is a performance, Trump is no Cindy Sherman role-playing magnificently for the camera. The problem is he just isn’t very good at all this. Glaring crossly beneath arched eyebrows as if staring down a flunky who’s served up a cold burger, Trump looks as out of his element as the constipated Duke of Wellington in the portrait by Goya. He may be aiming for the moral uprightness of Lorenzo Lotto’s Portrait of a Woman Inspired by Lucretia, yet he looks as pompous and silly as Stephen Fry playing General Melchett in Blackadder.
As a work of art, it’s not clear what the photographer’s role here is, but it’s hard not to think whoever pushed the button intended to make the sitter look ridiculous. If so, well done: this anonymous artist has made the once most powerful man in the world look like a foolish old duffer with anger issues rather than a serious presidential contender.

The sitter’s role here is to wrest control of his image from the plod snapper, but Trump hasn’t got the chutzpah. When Jane Fonda was busted on trumped-up charges of drug smuggling in 1970, she appeared holding a clenched fist aloft, glaring. Trump, unable to master the simplicity and power of that pose, looks what Fonda doesn’t – laughable.
Clearly Trump thinks the image will help the brand and, by extension, his bid to become president once more. The pose Trump has struck is, to be fair, honoured by history, which teaches: “Don’t be a mug and smile.” Go for passport photo solemnity, but with added gravitas. These truths were recognised by French criminologist Alphonse Bertillon when he invented, or rather standardised, the mugshot in 1888. But they were ignored by some of the worst criminals in history.

The American mafia gangster John Gotti grins foolishly for his 1990 mugshot, while drug lord Pablo Escobar leers. The expression on Al Capone’s face says: “How could a chubby-baby-faced poppet like me be guilty of anything, least of all tax fraud?” It also says that he ain’t intimidated by no cop. Paris Hilton smirks imperiously, after being arrested in Vegas in 2010, as if to say to whomever is taking her picture: “Really?”( or perhaps: “Rilly?)
The only smiling mugshot that does its subject any favours is the one of Bill Gates in Albuquerque in 1977, for driving without a license and running a stop sign. His geeky grin rhymes with his terrible glasses – all fitting emblems for the nerd who, a year later, moved his startup company Microsoft to Seattle and conquered the world.
Two of Trump’s 18 co-defendants didn’t get the no-smiles memo. His former lawyer Jenna Ellis grins broadly, as does David Shafer, former chairman of the Georgia Republican party. At best, their poses suggest they’re playing innocent, but it comes across in both cases as witlessness in the face of quite serious indictments. To be fair, neither seem quite so criminal as another of the co-accused, Rudy Giuliani, who looks as if he’s just come off set as the Joker after shooting a scene in which Batman finally sees him off.
The trick of the mugshot, which Trump realises, is to look as though you’re 100% not guilty. Indeed, the mugshot must be understood not as shaming moment but as opportunity for promotion. Mick Jagger and Frank Sinatra are outliers in this respect. Arrested for amphetamine possession in 1967, Jagger more or less wittingly used the mugshot as an opportunity to present his incredibly fetching pouting lips, hollowed cheeks and general aura of bad-boy sexiness, all commensurate with his band’s image.

Yet at the same time, Jagger’s mugshot also served as a depiction of youthful vulnerability. Indeed, busted on dodgy drugs charges, Jagger managed to gain the support of William Rees-Mogg, who wrote a leader for the Times under the headline “Who Breaks a Butterfly on a Wheel?”, indicting those who were indicting and saying they were in the wrong, not lovely Mick. And so it proved: Mick got the charges overturned on appeal.
Similarly, when Sinatra was busted in 1938 for “seduction”, his mugshot showed a transgressive bad boy with eyes you could write poetry about. At least until you read the FBI report, which asserts that “under the promise of marriage” Sinatra “did then and there have sexual intercourse with the said complainant, who was then and there a single female of good repute”.
No celebrity mugshot, though, can match in adorableness those taken by Holly Hunter, playing a cop in the 1987 film Raising Arizona, shooting recidivist Nicolas Cage. “Turn to the right!” shouts Hunter as she takes his mugshot. “You’re a flower, you are,” replies Cage, already in love. “Just a little desert flower.” That, to be sure, is not really in the Trump playbook.
Faces Of San Francisco: My Collection Of 40 Captivating Photographs
By Admin in Photography
I am Joe Quintana, a California-based photographer. I hold a BFA in Photography from the Art Institute of San Francisco and an MFA from Stanford University.
For more than 10 years straight, I photographed in the streets of San Francisco where I lived and worked at the time. What I have to share is my personal exploitation of images of living day-to-day with the people who live and work in the city.
More info: yahoomeat5.wixsite.com
Wigs, a whale calf and a customised car: Friday’s best photos
By Admin in Photography

St Paul, Minnesota
Indigenous leaders and their water-protector allies set up an Occupy-style camp on the lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol building. They are protesting against the Canadian oil and gas transport company Enbridge, which is expanding the controversial Line 3 pipeline. The $9.3bn project will carry oil through treaty-protected tribal lands and through parts of the States watershed
Photograph: Pacific Press/LightRocket/Getty Images