Annie takes great photos. Of course, the subject matter probably wasn't too hard to work with!

What a beautiful family!

The Obamas are a lovely family. No doubt about that!

I'm a huge fan of Annie Leibovitz - she's masterful with the camera and her subjects.

Great!

Aren't they just wonderful!

I can't help smiling.

Just look at those for Socialists licking their chops at all the good they've done and are going to do! It's just sickening! ;-)

nice picture!

Thanks for sharing this Kathy. It is a beautiful photo, but Annie could photograph a dustball and make it gorgeous. The Obama's must have easy to do because they just have that magic.

I hope Annie's life gets better and she gets to enjoy her craft sans the money woes.

It is horribly sad, LuluandPhoebe, about Annie and the $24 million. I understand her going rate for photo sessions like the above are $100,000 a day. I expect the White House got preferred rates.

To all the rest of you commenting on this photo, yes, I agree, lovely photo, lovely family, and Annie did a great job. Nice to have a White House who knows how to use Flickr.

Leibovitz is overrated. A much less lauded photog would have asked the President to put on a jacket for Christ's sake and would have more cleverly balanced the whites, blacks, and greys to avoid a pictorial display that is a virtual metaphor for segregation. Also, it's so clutchy as to be clutzy.

I expect they took several, Gordon. I'd be interested in seeing the other poses. Good point about the black/white contrast, which I hadn't paid much attention to before your comment. I'd view that more as an artistic statement than a political one.

Annie took a good shot. No surprise there. She's a talented woman.

I have no doubt that many people will weigh in with their various opinions of what the photo really means, how Annie's financial problems figure into the shoot, whether Barack's policies are good, or bad, or indifferent - but you have to admit, taking the photo as nothing more than a photo, the Obama's present a much more pleasing image than the Johnson's, Nixon's, Ford's, Carter's, Regan's, Bush's, Clinton's, or Bush's did. Presenting a photogenic family image is not an altogether bad thing for a president.

What a beautiful family! They are such a good representative family for our country. Makes me proud.

I approve of this photo especially because it contrasts blacks and whites, therefore uniting them. It's a nice touch to have a darkened corridor on the left side behind the all white clothes of the Prez and his younger daughter, and a white mantlepiece on the left of the darker-dressed First Lady and older daughter. On the other hand I'm not so sure about the white pillars sticking out behind them, and the little triangle of white behind Mrs. Obama's left shoulder is a total eyesore.

They're all intertwined -- arms on shoulder, holding hands. And such beautiful, honest, happy smiles. They're truly mad about each other. Isn't it great to see THIS as our First Family.

p.s. If it had been ME, I would have preferred more balance in the darks and lights, too. Hate to agree with Gordon, but . . . It's STILL a GREAT PICTURE OF A GREAT FAMILY.

You know, there's an interesting political idea hidden in the comments that Malia's black-and-white dress is black.

Gee Gordon, who pissed in your Post Tosties this morning. Is there anything associated with President Obama that you won't get all bitchy about? Take a Mydol and get over it already, the drunken Texas frat boy is both gone and forgotten. Get a real life for a change.

I'm disappointed that they weren't wearing tiaras. Yuck, yuck.
R

adorable - no hidden agendas, political statements, or secret codes that I can see...

where's bo???

The Obamas all have such lovely smiles!

Gordon,

Who peed in your cereal this morning? Geez.

I think the photo looks great. I couldn't have made a better looking family if I created them myself on Sims 3. Love how sasha looks like mom and malia looks like dad. Adds +2 to the cuteness factor.

You can just feel the genuine love and warmth that they have for one another emanating from that picture, can't you?

A lovely family; a beautiful picture.

Good choice.

Rated.

Oh My God They're Gorgeous!

Malia will be a hottie in a few years, but Sasha should be put to sleep now to save her the pain of growing up to look like a transvestite like her mother.

Lovely and happy picture. Tzen, what a slug you are to go after a kid.

What a nice photo of the Kenyan First Family.

I think it sucks. Michelle was totally backgrounded. She should have been closer to the President and more prominent. Michelle is the greatest first lady ever! EVER!

Rated.

No, T.S., they're as American as you and me. Sorry you can't see that.

What's with anyone hating on this picture? It's positively lovely.

Here's my take--it's all about body language, and the hands. The President is relaxed, facing forward, in charge, hands folded in his lap. This guy is no nonsense, in command, ringmaster. Daughter Sasha has her arm around her daddy lovingly, completely relaxed, not self-conscious, another hand holding her mother's. Malia is wrapped around her mother, just at that age, slightly more self-conscious but with lots of affection, leaning forward. The First Lady has knees in toward her family, protective, confident, also relaxed but on guard in case anyone pounces. The Huntress. Smiles all around. A nice pic for anyone's family, let alone the First.

They are gorgeous, happy people. And they are ours, all ours.

Looking at the Obamas.. makes me smile. =o)

I know KOB.. Who knows what socialistic ideals are being pushed into the heads of those two girls? =o)

Laughing at the derogatory comments - must be painful to see what a beautiful, genuine, loving family we've got in the White House right now, independent of Barack's politics or Michelle's style. The fact that they're young, beautiful, modern, innovative, and look so happy together makes it a great photo.

You can't fake happiness and love. You see it in this family every time they're in a photo or on video. It's really a fascinating contrast to other Presidential families in the past. They are all beautiful, but it's their energy and connectedness as a family that really makes them shine.

Lovely photo. Lovely family.

What a fantastic photo -that little Malia is growing up right before our eyes, she is quite the pretty young lady.

I love the light coming from this family ... it is contagious!

Gordon knows that it's just the Washingtonian equivelant of the kaki pants-white top on the beach family photo. It's warm and casual on purpose, but so are all of our professionally taken family pictures.
That's the beauty of it.

I also disagree with the assessment that Lebovitz is overrated. She knows how to make peopele think. It's just the slightest bit off center, and that is no accident.

Lovely family. The picture behind Sasha's head is distracting...

It's a great snapshot, with nice smiles and body language. But for a picture that I suspect cost huge amounts of money and had lots of prep time, I think the colors are off. The too bright whites catch the eye while the darker faces recede, the sharp contrast between black and white. I think a good photographer would have thought about what color clothes to suggest -- and known that what you recommend for lighter skinned people might not be the same as what you recommend for darker skinned people.