Photo Op '08: Hope vs. Panic

In the mass media, Barack Obama has begun to look like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Looking up, hopeful, sincere if a bit corny. Compare the image of Obama speaking in New Hampshire yesterday (photographed by Jim Bourg of Reuters) to Rockwell's "Save Freedom of Speech". Images like this helped Obama win Iowa last week, and have helped him jump ahead in the polls in New Hampshire (where primary voting is tomorrow).

Need more? Here's Obama on the cover of the current issue of Newsweek, photographed by Charles Ommanney:

Obama looks bold, sincere, and in-control in photographs, and that has helped his campaign immeasurably. Meanwhile, photographers continue to capture Hillary Clinton's face in freak-out poses – looking tired, angry or just plain loopy – and the damage is evident in her poll numbers. Look at the front of today's New York Post, keeping in mind that the Post was once a strong supporter of Clinton's candidacy Senate campaign and Rupert Murdoch once hosted a fund-raiser for her. The Post uses a cutout of a Getty Images photo by Joe Raedle.

- We have been looking carefully for any signs that race has influenced Obama's photo coverage, and have seen little. BAG News Notes blogged recently about how President Bush is sometimes seen patronizing or exploiting African Americans, comparing a picture of the president patting a black child on the head to a photo of Obama looking completely equal and at ease with a white family.

Given the sensitivity toward race in this campaign, it's surprising how little reaction and pickup this photograph got:

This is an AP photo by Paul Sancya taken Dec. 31 in Iowa. And yes, that's actually Mike Huckabee posing for the media while a black man shines his shoes.

Huckabee, of course, went on to win the Republican contest in Iowa. Photographs of Huckabee continue to celebrate the offbeat, as he appears bowling an orange, campaigning with Chuck Norris, rocking out in a dorky red sweater, or some combination of the above.

- Another detail to watch is how candidates sneak words into photographs. Obama's campaign loves to display that blue poster that says "CHANGE." At a recent Clinton rally, supporters waved similar signs that said "READY." Fellow New Yorker Rudy Giuliani, meanwhile, is going with "Tested. Ready. Now."

- Check out John Edwards shooting hoops. Hey, that's supposed to be Obama's move!

- Recognize anybody in these media swarms covering John McCain or Mitt Romney?

Our weekly charts tracking photo wire coverage are below. Christopher Dodd and Joe Biden have dropped out, so we've dropped them from our chart.