President Obama's official portrait: the first ever taken with a digital camera

You're now gazing at President Barack Obama's just-released official portrait -- the first of a U.S. president ever taken with a digital camera. That means we can peek at the EXIF data -- this fine specimen of portraiture was snapped with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II on January 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm with no flash, using a 105mm lens stopped to f/10 at a 1/125 exposure, with an ISO of 100 by newly crowned official White House photographer Pete Souza. Nice work, Souza -- but we think it could use a few lens flares.

[Thanks, Penny]

[Fernando @ Jan 14th 2009 3:56PM]

What couldn't use more lens flare is what I ask!

[MadMike @ Jan 14th 2009 3:57PM]

And Cowbell. Can never have too much cowbell!

[Major4Play @ Jan 14th 2009 3:57PM]

Fringe....Fringe could certainly not use anymore lens flare.

[Randy @ Jan 14th 2009 4:14PM]

Lens flare? I can see loads and loads of shitty photoshop filters on this photo, like some 14yo who's just had his first camera along with downloaded photoshop. new internet phenomenon?:)

[Esat Dedezade @ Jan 14th 2009 4:18PM]

ILoveApple, I'm gonna rank you up, as that is clearly the opposite effect of what you wanted.

[Flashpoint @ Jan 14th 2009 4:30PM]

Musta been a shitty camera. Why is the flag so blurry?

Obama looks better in the pic with Spiderman !

[eggothewaffle @ Jan 14th 2009 4:40PM]

johan your so rascist it desgusts me sometiems

[monkfishbandana @ Jan 14th 2009 5:11PM]

@ Flashpoint

I hope you're kidding.

*cough* DOF *cough*

[leo @ Jan 14th 2009 5:25PM]

He's obviously kidding. Even if most peeps don't know what to call it - they know that pics where the subject is in focus and other things are out of focus are "pro looking" / "cool" / "other".... I'm curious as to the lens being stopped to f/10 which would be great for infinate focus / razor sharp type images - or if Obama had a sun-like ray of light eminating from his face.... saying that, I'm not a pro 'tog so there's probably a fairly standard reason for having f/10 in a shot like this that I just don't know about...... maybe there's no dimmer switch on the lights haha

[haX0r @ Jan 14th 2009 5:28PM]

@ Flashpoint

It's called creating depth. Photography 101.

[Fernando @ Jan 14th 2009 5:51PM]

I hate being first :(

[Jeff @ Jan 14th 2009 6:00PM]

Your email filling up Fernando?

[Mike @ Jan 14th 2009 6:06PM]

+1 for cowbell

[Alex @ Jan 14th 2009 6:28PM]

I'll tell you what, though... it could use a little more flare in general. That background is bo-ring.

[Boards of Canada @ Jan 14th 2009 7:06PM]

I dont think that one was take at f10... if so the flag must have been like 20 feet behind.

mmm... maybe... its a 105mm after all... still the flag is quite far.

I love my 85mm 1.8 canon lens!! the best for portrait at a realistic price!

[sarah @ Jan 14th 2009 10:39PM]

damn...he could of shown his perfect white teeth and lovely smile but he didn't...darn formal traditions!!!!

[Eddie @ Jan 14th 2009 11:26PM]

Why f/10? f/8 is the sweet spot for many lenses, where they have the best sharpness. f/10 is pretty close to that. The other thing is that when you're up close, you have to stop down, so that his entire face will be in focus. If he had it around f/4, Obama's eyes would be in focus, but his ears would be a little bit fuzzy. Long focal lengths up close like that will give you very shallow depth of field.

Also, even though the EXIF data says "no flash", I doubt that he got an exposure at f/10, 1/125 and ISO 100 without studio strobes. They were probably triggered with a hotshoe or the flash sync socket.

[arash @ Jan 15th 2009 6:40AM]

thats a very amature photo, they must do it with a sinar back and a 80mm rodenstock lens. hey he is the world first man and you used a chip canon camera? ahmadinejhad photos are better in quality(sure not in face)

[OneLove @ Jan 16th 2009 2:29PM]

That's one sexy n....!

[billy bob thorton @ Jan 24th 2009 3:39PM]

@Laura June

obviously at least 2 lights were used, probably strobes. you can clearly see them in his eyes. so yes, flash was used. not to mention the obvious f10 aperture is a dead givaway for an indoor shot at iso 100

[ILoveApple @ Jan 14th 2009 3:56PM]

I've got a crush on Obama!

[Jake B @ Jan 14th 2009 3:59PM]

So does the media!

[Shinigami @ Jan 14th 2009 4:08PM]

Can't tell whats more fugly - this picture or your comment... He's your president! You're not supposed to have a crush on the president!

[michael @ Jan 14th 2009 4:14PM]

And every hipster

[bangladeshiluv @ Jan 14th 2009 4:14PM]

he's so *dreamy*

*swoon*

[conor @ Jan 14th 2009 4:24PM]

Obama Girl?

[kjb434 @ Jan 14th 2009 5:41PM]

You should see a psychiatrist about that! He's only a politician that's not different than anybody else in D.C.

[volatileacid @ Jan 14th 2009 6:22PM]

You plebs, he's quoting a popular viral

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 14th 2009 7:34PM]

It must not have been that popular then.

[Ethan @ Jan 15th 2009 5:03AM]

Calling people plebs because they haven't seen a youtube video? Isn't that the wrong way around?

[judy @ Jan 15th 2009 9:20AM]

Now Obama has an American flag on his lapel,will he pledge it in his four years

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jan 14th 2009 3:57PM]

Now that's a Fine Looking President

. All HAIL OBAMA creator of our robot lords!

[Frankenstein Black @ Jan 14th 2009 4:20PM]

I would like to see the same photo taken 2 years from now (instead of at the end of his term). The amount of grey hair and wrinkles will be astonishing! Weight of the world on those shoulders, so I say lower those expectations people. 1000 Obamas could not cure what ails us (and humanity for that matter).

PS Greed, clickishness and lack of compassion for fellow man are powerful human flaws. We are doomed and only grey visitors from beyond the stars can save this flawed species...

[Mike @ Jan 14th 2009 4:24PM]

Even though I voted for the guy, this is not the first official portrait of a US President. Until he actually becomes President, this will be just a nice picture of the President Elect. It's a mater of time, but it's accurate.

[Scott @ Jan 14th 2009 6:23PM]

yeah, I popped the pic into photoshop and in the official info field it states, "Official portrait of President-elect Barack Obama on Jan. 13, 2009."

So it's engadget messing with the wording.

I'm going to fix this photo up a bit.

[Harkonian @ Jan 14th 2009 6:54PM]

@Fankenstein Black Done! Here is what Obama might look like in 4 years, courtesy of CNN:

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/HEALTH/01/06/presidential.health.aging/art.obama.popphoto.jpg

[Jinx @ Jan 14th 2009 3:57PM]

Total Alpha Male!

j/king lmao!

[Raheem @ Jan 14th 2009 4:42PM]

Because typing 'o' instead of '/' just isn't right?

[ismyrnow @ Jan 14th 2009 6:19PM]

it's more like "jay-kaying". sometimes i actually prefer to use "jay-kay" instead of saying "just kidding", lol.

[Wwhat @ Jan 14th 2009 7:31PM]

J/K is commonly used and is short for 'just kidding', hence the 2 letters.

[Andir3.0 @ Jan 14th 2009 7:36PM]

Just kiddinging...?

[In A World (XBL) @ Jan 14th 2009 10:16PM]

jay you ess tea kay aye deedee aye en gee!

[Hguh @ Jan 14th 2009 3:58PM]

I took the first ever digital picture of my arse this morning, do you wanna write a story about that?

[Joshua Topolsky @ Jan 14th 2009 3:59PM]

Was your "arse" elected President of the United States of America? Oh, no? Then probably not.

[eggothewaffle @ Jan 14th 2009 4:03PM]

Sick burn, Joshtops; did you dictate that comment with your vaiop(hone)?

I thought that was the best part of the trailer video..."BUY SELL SELL BUY BUY."

[dBs @ Jan 14th 2009 4:03PM]

Naaaah, Id still rather see his ass than Mr. O.

[ILoveApple @ Jan 14th 2009 4:06PM]

Well, if his arse is Gordon Brown (and Gordon Brown's face definitely does look like a hairy arse) he became the Prime Minister of the Queen's favourite country a few months ago.

[Nilay Patel @ Jan 14th 2009 4:07PM]

@eggothewaffle "Joshtops!" You're my hero.

[a ham sandwich @ Jan 14th 2009 4:15PM]

A screenshot of this thread has now been taken for later reference. Thank you very much.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jan 14th 2009 4:18PM]

Maybe his Arse is the President of Flatulence.