[Unstagram] Political Photos and 'Photogenic'

Expressions and gestures in photos reveal one's life and attitude.
Disasters caused by desires exceeding reality are also captured in images.

On October 30, as President Donald Trump departed Japan for South Korea, a single black-and-white photo was posted on his social media. The photo showed President Trump together with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. There was no caption or byline-just the image itself. The photo appears to have been taken on October 28, shortly after the U.S.-Japan summit. In truth, no words were needed. Even the aides surrounding them, posing as if for a mise-en-scene, made it look like a movie poster. This one photo seemed to encapsulate the entire current relationship between the two countries. Someone even wrote on Facebook that they looked like “a wealthy big brother and his youngest sister.”

President Donald Trump Truth

Just as in previous widely reported images-such as when Trump leapt with one hand raised high in front of U.S. soldiers-his small stature and lively smile are, in every sense, photogenic. A person’s life and attitude are revealed in their expressions and gestures. When these are captured by the camera and the resulting image is appealing, we call it photogenic. It is different from being handsome or beautiful; the phrase “the camera loves them” comes closer to the meaning.

Novelist Oscar Wilde wrote in The Picture of Dorian Gray, “Beauty is a form of genius-indeed, it is higher than genius, as it needs no explanation.” In today’s image-driven society, being photogenic could be considered a form of genius. People are drawn to what appears to be someone’s genuine, unadorned self.

President Trump may not be conventionally photogenic, but he is acutely aware of how he appears and how to be photographed. His life has been filled with eye-catching moments, and with his natural flair for publicity, he enjoys explosive popularity and controversy alike through his eccentric behavior. He knows exactly which images attract public attention, achieve political goals, or generate profit. For example, at the signing of an executive order banning transgender athletes from women’s sports, he arranged female athletes as a backdrop; at the signing of an executive order to reduce the Department of Education, he decorated the White House like an elementary school classroom and seated students. Both photographers and viewers are inevitably drawn to such vivid scenes. After the 2020 presidential election, he even sold his own mugshot taken during a brief stint in jail, making money from it-demonstrating his genius for image marketing.

People who have a strong desire to be noticed but lack anything substantial to reveal often rely on backgrounds and props. When used skillfully, these can amplify their impact, but when desire outpaces reality, it can lead to disaster. This is evident when, during parliamentary audits, some resort to brandishing slanderous doctored images, waving papers covered in insults and curses, or even physically shoving others. Such photos will linger for a long time. Yet, no matter how much criticism they receive, they believe that spreading such chaos brings them more gains, so the uproar never ceases. The shame, in the end, falls on the public.