Oval Officer

Great catch and a wonderful expression, James. I would consider cropping some off the top, perhaps down to just above the top of the head of Thatcher in the background. If you are working digitially, I would also clone out the spot in the lower left.

James - This is a really great shot. Doesn't look like one of those rehearsed "photo-op" smiles, but a genuine moment. Including Thatcher's profile was a great move because it tells us this is obviously an official state ceremony of some type, but your d.o.f. makes the Prez pop! Great composition, and nice timing with the shutter.

Great!

Nice capture of a slice of history. Reagan's expression has that genuine quality that I remember well from the '80s. Margaret Thatcher's silhouetted appearance adds a sense of diplomacy to the image. Well done magazine-like image.

Good shot. I like the faded out background. The whole composition is very good.

Good shot!!!!!

wonderful moment captured. Very nice!

Great shot, very evocative and genuine expression. I like the play of liught on his face very much. As long as you are cloning out bright spots, I would get the one on Thatcher's blazer, just to the left of the President's cheek.

 

This brings back many good memories for me. Part of it may be that he was President for a good part of my childhood, but Reagan has always been my favorite modern Commander in Chief.

James, don't let Mathew get to you...this is an excellent capture, and it's made all the more special by Thatcher's presence, given the U.S. - British relationship during that time...this is one of the best photo of national leaders I've seen. Mathew can go...himself!

Fantastic...

What a great job that must have been. Thanks for sharing. These photos of RR seem to really bring out his likeability - he seemed to be one of those rare folks that even those who hated his politics really seemed to like him as a person.

I would love to see Maggie in focus - through a high powered telescopic sight. Now that would be a great shot!

good shot!

What if you were there? (You had 20 seconds to shoot b&W, color, tight and wide.)

IMHO the background is regretably thick grainy: way too impresionistic the Thatcher profile with this sharp portrait of a relaxed, smily Reagan. A nice contrast? I really think it just doesn't work.

As far as history is concern:

 

66 Things to Think About When Flying Into Reagan National Airport

by David Corn

 

The firing of the air traffic controllers, winnable nuclear war, recallable nuclear missiles, trees that cause pollution, Elliott Abrams lying to Congress, ketchup as a vegetable, colluding with Guatemalan thugs, pardons for F.B.I. lawbreakers, voodoo economics, budget deficits, toasts to Ferdinand Marcos, public housing cutbacks, redbaiting the nuclear freeze movement, James Watt.

 

Getting cozy with Argentine fascist generals, tax credits for segregated schools, disinformation campaigns, "homeless by choice," Manuel Noriega, falling wages, the HUD scandal, air raids on Libya, "constructive engagement" with apartheid South Africa, United States Information Agency blacklists of liberal speakers, attacks on OSHA and workplace safety, the invasion of Grenada, assassination manuals, Nancy's astrologer.

 

Drug tests, lie detector tests, Fawn Hall, female appointees (8 percent), mining harbors, the S&L scandal, 239 dead U.S. troops in Beirut, Al Haig "in control," silence on AIDS, food-stamp reductions, Debategate, White House shredding, Jonas Savimbi, tax cuts for the rich, "mistakes were made."

 

Michael Deaver's conviction for influence peddling, Lyn Nofziger's conviction for influence peddling, Caspar Weinberger's five-count indictment, Ed Meese ("You don't have many suspects who are innocent of a crime"), Donald Regan (women don't "understand throw-weights"), education cuts, massacres in El Salvador.

 

"The bombing begins in five minutes," $640 Pentagon toilet seats, African- American judicial appointees (1.9 percent), Reader's Digest, C.I.A.-sponsored car-bombing in Lebanon (more than eighty civilians killed), 200 officials accused of wrongdoing, William Casey, Iran/contra.

 

"Facts are stupid things," three-by-five cards, the MX missile, Bitburg, S.D.I., Robert Bork, naps, Teflon.

 

It's a fine shot.

I thought the US would probably never see the like of Reagan again, but then history has a habbit of repeating itself and now we have Bush.

And what do I remember Ronald for, being one of the biggest terrorist sponsers in the world.

 

There is plenty of criticism to be thrown in his direction, Reinaldo and Gareth have pointed them out, and I think it's important to bring them out.

 

But sticking to the photo, I think it's a terrific one. He had a certain energy and affability. I think this image captures it. My only suggestion would be a crop at the top.

 

By the way, your other images in this folder are also quite accomplished. Thanks for sharing.

 

I think if Thatcher had been a little more in focus and with a small crop off the top this would have been a very powerful picture, in many ways for the time. That said what you achieved in 20 seconds is to be proud of. I hope you will excuse me not rating this one as the rating system can't really reflect what you have achieved here. Tony

DUDE! I've looked at your entire portfolio. There's not a single photojournalistic unposed shot in the entire bunch. Since you've had so many opportunities to photograph so many people who've been so adversley affected by the terrible American President Ronald Reagan, how come you don't show the world what it's really like through your pictures instead of your big mouth?

 

And as I indicated above, the "space" above the photo is for headlines on magazine covers. Since RR was the subject, and since EVERYONE, including me had tons of pictures of Maggie and Ronnie together in many situations (including this one) I felt at the time (rightly so according to the then photo editor of NEWSWEEK magazine) this might make a good alternative to the usual "safe" pictures so often shot in the Oval Office back then.

 

My JOB was to cover the President of the United States. I could not have cared less about his politics then or now. I was recording history.

 

Renaldo - read more dude, you'll learn a lot more than you know now if you do some research.

 

BTW - I don't GAF what anyone on PhotoNet thinks as far as politics. I thought the main thing was to learn about photography.

 

We had 20 - 25 seconds to shoot:

1. TIGHT Color & Black & White

2. WIDE Color & Black & White

 

That's a minimum of 4 cameras.

You needed a light reading as the F3's and Leicas most of used did not have reliable meters.

 

Especially when using Kodak Tungsten 160 pushed 1 & 1/2 stops but rated at 320.

 

Geezo, let's see you do it!

Bravo, James!

 

It IS about the photographs, NOT the politics!

 

I could tell from first view that this had to have been grabbed quickly. No one gets that close and has enough time to set up a tripod and LF gear! Four cameras shot in 20 seconds??! I could pretty much be assured that I wouldn't come out with one usable image, much less THIS ONE; WOW! You must have had a blast!

 

I LOVE grain. Think it works especially well here and exposure looks spot on! Your subject's personality jumps right out of the image.

 

I like it...alot.

James, I too looked at Renaldo's pictures. Calling them pictures is a compliment. My little girl has a better eye for photography than he does. His, so called, portfolio is a joke. He is just a political hater. Pay him no mind. Your images of Reagan are awesome . . . Dude. LOL Good work man!