Donald Trump revealed his official portrait last week ahead of his inauguration, at the same time Nairobi-born photographer Polly Irungu concluded her tenure at the White House.
Bearing a striking resemblance to his mugshot taken at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, after he was charged with attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss, Trump’s official portrait was taken by his chief photographer Daniel Torok using a Nikon Z9 and a Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens.
Former White House photographer Eric Draper told the BBC that the portrait appears “heavily manipulated” with both studio lighting and retouching after the shoot. He added that the portrait seems to use “monster” lighting, to dramatically illuminate the president-elect from below and make his eyes pop.
The lighting setup gives the image an "ominous" look often seen in horror films, Eliska Sky, a portrait photographer with the London Institute of Photography, told the BBC. She compared the portrayal of Trump to a boxer before a fight.
In contrast to mugshot-like photographs of formerly convicted US presidents, Nairobi-born Polly Irungu – described as a "landmark" photographer by Kenyan news outlet Mwakiliahi – who served as the first photo editor in the office of then-Vice President Kamala Harris, has left her post as official White House photographer.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Irungu said: “It’s been an honor to see through thousands of photos the impact that VP Kamala Harris has had on our country. Serving as the photo editor for VP Harris has been a humbling and rewarding experience. I owe so much to Lawrence Jackson, VP’s director of photography, for trusting me.”
Irungu immigrated to the US when she was four years old, and worked in McDonald’s in high school to save up for her first camera. She became the first official photo editor for Harris in 2022.
In response to the 2020 COVID-19 Irungu started Black Women Photographers, “a global community and database of Black women and nonbinary photographers.” The database has become a vital resource for editors and art buyers looking to diversify their publications and support underrepresented voices in the photography industry.
On his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump signed multiple key executive orders, including an immigration crackdown and mass deportations, and exiting the World Health Organization. He has also encouraged big companies to repeal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies, and rescinded two executive orders signed by President Biden on his first day in office four years ago – one advancing racial equity for under-served communities, and another combating discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” the president said during his inaugural address.
The departure of individuals like Irungu from the White House, coupled with Trump's controversial and transgressive early orders, underscores a significant shift in the administration's direction. It represents not just a change in personnel, but also a departure from modern and established norms and policies, signaling a radically different approach to governance for the US.
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