The Oil Spill and Obama- Two Photo Analyses



Photo #1 New York Daily News June 14, 2010




Photo #2 Christian Science Monitor June 14, 2010



Photo #1, captioned “Obama and the Oil Spill,” draws attention to the Presidents face alone, as the background over his left and right shoulders is blurred to obscurity.  Only a fair amount of speculation would allow the observer to determine where Obama is sitting or what he is doing.  The picture cuts off just below his shoulders, so we are unable to observe the President’s gestures or body language, although his posture leads us to believe that he is sitting and leaning forward with his elbows on a table.  He is not dressed in the coat and tie he may wear for a typical public address.  He is dressed in a gray gingham, collared shirt.  Again, most of the attention is drawn to his facial expression.  The photographer catches him with a look of thoughtful concern: furrowed brow, mouth slightly grimaced, eyes fixed directly ahead as if looking forward.  Although, the photographer probably didn’t have much control over the lighting, the soft glow from the Presidents left helps to make him look approachable and inviting (as opposed to the harsh look that intense top or back lighting may bring out).

I do not believe the picture is posed because it does not look like other posed Presidential photos which are taken during a ceremony or the presentation of an award (shake hands, turn, and smile).  This picture looks to be one of many captured during a press event.

This photo seems to depict a worried Obama… but not one without a plan.  Those of us who remember the historical contexts surrounding this photo, may realize two things:  This is one of the biggest environmental disasters since the Exxon Valdez oil spill in the 80’s, and this is biggest disaster to hit the gulf coast since Hurricane Katrina.  In both of those disasters, the President at the time (Regan and Bush respectively) came under intense scrutiny by the public.  The Exxon oil spill seemed like a tragedy that brought about a never ending clean up.  As pictures of sludge-covered wildlife hit the news, people wanted to know that the government was concerned about health, safety, etc.  After Hurricane Katrina, the government was harshly criticized for responding too slowly and not doing enough in the long run to help victims.  The Katrina response did much to shape public perception of Bush’s Presidency.  This photo seems to portray an Obama who is concerned about the many effects of the spill (pollution, damage to the fishing trade, etc.), but who is worried that there may be very little that he can do.

Overall the photo seems to evoke the following questions: Is the President worried?  Is he concerned that there is nothing his administration can do?  How might his deep concern for the oil spill affect his attention to other important concerns? 

Photo #2, comes with the caption explaining that Obama is meeting with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen to gather information on the BP oil spill.  Unlike photo #1, this picture provides readers with much more than Obama’s facial expression.  In the upper left hand corner, there is an enlarged photo of what appears to be Coast Guard workers gathering equipment to help contain floating crude oil.  This image is only partially shrouded by an American flag.  In the upper right hand corner, we see a small map of the Gulf Coast, next to a piece of another photo of emergency workers.  In the lower left we see Thad Allen, hands folded, calmly listening to the President.  Allen is holding a pen, and his arms are surrounded by papers.  In the lower right we see an optimistic looking Obama in mid speech.  His hands are casually raised and open as if he is explaining something.  He also happens to be dressed in the same gray gingham shirt shown in Photo #1.  Here we see that the President has his sleeves rolled up.  Directly behind both men is a large wall map that shows the Gulf Coast, and bears the title “Deepwater Horizon Response.”

Again this photo, does not look posed, but captured during a press meeting.  This photo, however, can make people think that this event is more than just a press meeting.  The images behind Obama and Allen make it look like the two are seated at the command center of the oil spill response.  Maps, pictures of rescue workers, and a table full of papers, makes it look like the two men are hard at work planning out the best way minimize the damage.  In fact, Obama’s slight grin, makes the situation seem hopeful as if the government can “do something about it.”  Obama’s choice of clothing is no accident.  He is not in a suit and tie.  He is dressed like a hardworking supervisor, and his sleeves are rolled as if he is ready to get down to business.  Without a doubt, every component of this photo is meant to help the public feel as if the Obama administration and the Coast Guard is doing all that they can.

Despite the positive message ingrained in the photo, the questions it evokes are a little less optimistic : Who posted the giant photos of Coast Guard workers behind the two men?  (The Coast Guard?  White House officials?  Press workers?) Does the government have the ability to clean up the worst oil spill in history?  What will become of the issues Obama was handling before this disaster?

Alternate Captions

The neutral caption of Photo #1 does little to shape the message we receive.  A caption like “Obama considers environmental and economic impact of the BP Oil Spill,” would communicate a feeling of anxiety to the reader.  It would be like saying, “The President is worried.  Shouldn’t you be?”

The caption of Photo #2 is much more descriptive: “President Obama meets with National Incident Commander US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen for a briefing on the BP oil spill at Coast Guard Station Gulfport in Gulfport, Mississippi, on Monday.”  If the caption were changed to “President Obama fields questions about environmental clean up,” we may see this as a photo of a President under fire.

Photo Analysis Lesson Plan

This photo analysis lesson plan from the Library of Congress is great for helping students learn to do some critical thinking about a specific period in history, by using what they see.  A contrasting photo is provided in the lesson to help students make further comparisons:

 http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/civil-war/index.html