Picture Reading

In the first image, the one regarding the BP oil spill, President Obama is shown wearing plain clothes, leaning slightly forward, and his head is lowered and turned at a three-quarter angle away from the viewer. The reason that he is depicted this way is to seem both common and sympathetic. He is not dressed better than the average man, he is not shown with strong straight posture, he is shown leaning forward as if he is listening to the people. His head is lowered and turned slightly away so he appears to be both humble and non-threatening.

The second image, the one of President Obama on a ship, depicts a leader. President Obama is pictured walking on the deck of a large sea faring vessel walking with a large group of men. He is in front of the group, smiling broadly, sleeves rolled up, is dressed in semi-formal attire, and shows good posture. The image reminds one of a scene in a movie when the heroes all arrive, strong, confident, and practically invincible. The President's sleeves are rolled up as if he is about to get to work with the rest of the crew, he is placed in front of the crew to show that he is in fact in charge, and, last but not least, his smile shows his confidence that his plan will be a success.