How many of these shots have we seen now from press conferences involving some sort of accusation or resignation. What exactly is this expression? How many shots do the photographers need to take and sort through before they nail it -- is it an ongoing expression, or fleeting? Is it spontaneous, or an expression assumed to attempt to mask another?
This shot of Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis announcing his resignation seems to be the classic illustration for these stories. I can only assume photo editors know what they want to convey when they pick it. Let's take it apart:
The first thing you may notice is the pulled down mouth corners and downcast eyes -- but does the rest of his face look sad? The inner corners of his eyes are drawn in and down, they aren't lifting in and up like in a typical sad expression. His lips are drawn completely inside his mouth and pressed tightly together, and like the eyebrows, that's a strong indication of anger.
Could the intense clamping of the lips and the downward/no-eye contact gaze be an indication of an intense anger that must at all costs be restrained? A stony mask to wear during one of the more painful and infuriating experiences of your life? An attempt to appear serious and appropriately concerned when in fact extremely aggravated? What do you see?
