Straight In the Eye: Vladimir Putin by Peter Turnley

By Peter Turnley

I've always tried to look most every person I meet, every situation, and the world straight in the eye. In 2000, NEWSWEEK sent me to Russia to attempt to make a portrait of Vladimir Putin. It was a very difficult task which required lots of persistence, luck, and serendipity, but I did succeed in making what was at that time the first exclusive portrait of Putin since he had taken power. This photograph was never published, and to my knowledge has never been published—this is a type of absurd reality that I'm sure many photographers have experienced in their careers, and in many ways, it is one of the beautiful realities of photography—once a strong photograph is made, one way or the other it exists, and will, one day or another, see the light of day, and its visual and human power will be known. And, this is in many ways why I do what I do—it's what moves me, what motivates me, and what makes me dream.

With this image as an example, at a moment when Putin and Russia are now, 16 years later, so much at the center of a world storm in American politics and world affairs, by looking a man and a situation in the eyes, a photograph can offer everyone an opportunity to know maybe just a bit more, and help everyone, if not understand, at least feel something more than they knew or felt before. I must confess that I often find my own relationship with the world surreal—I have photographed Mandela, Castro, Gaddafi, Gorbachev, Arafat, Mubarak, Ceausescu, Yeltsin, Lady Diana, Clinton, Obama, Pope John Paul II, Assad, Mitterand, Thatcher, Blair, Muhammad Ali, Honnecker, Schroder, Kohl, Rabin, Reagan, Bush, and many others. Almost every day, something in the news of importance will take place, and I will find myself remembering a personal experience that was somehow very close to the center of the dynamic in question. With all of this, I feel a sense of pride and gratitude to feel very much alive. I hope to continue to always look the world straight in the eye, with my own eyes and, more importantly, my heart.

Peter

Friend-o'-TOP Peter Turnley is a lifelong photojournalist and former NEWSWEEK photographer who has been profiled by "60 Minutes" and has more than forty covers of the magazine to his credit. He was recently given a major retrospective at the leading art museum in Cuba. He has published many books, alone and with his twin brother David, including two bestselling photobooks of lyrical images of Paris. He lives in New York City and Paris.

Words and photograph ©2017 by Peter Turnley, all rights reserved

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Ray Hunter: "What a rich character study (or study of a person hiding his character) in a single image. Looks like a still from a film based on one of John LeCarre's novels, which I mean as a compliment."

jlesalvignol: "This portrait is exceptional. Putin is already in the construction of his historical character. An expressionless face, a look that seems empty, vacant, focused somewhere behind the camera that he nevertheless looks at frontally. A mouth that is contemptuous—barely—to say: good, I am here without being here. The duty! But I am so far ahead already. And I think of this great exhibition in Paris 2006 in the Senate of the Republic: Titian, the Power on the Face. Three examples that lead us to that Putin by Peter: Doge of Venice Marcantonio Trevisan; Portrait of Pope Paul III; Portrait of Antonio Anselmi. And I'm forgetting Charles V...." 

Mike replies: Excellent. I didn't think of Titian. The one who came to mind for me is Parmigianino. cf. this for example:

"Portrait of a Man" from about 1530. And perhaps this by Bronzino at the Met. But I think Peter's Putin is better than either of these...it seems oddly seraphic and faintly sinister at the same time, and I wonder if it was not too much of a "psychological portrait" to serve as a news photograph for the editors who commissioned it! It's closer to art than reportage, I think.

Ann Spear Borne: "'No one matters in this world but me.'"

Lynn: "I looked hard to find another world leader's portrait, both past and present, with a similar expression—without success. It seems to me that behind Putin's expression is all the sad history of the Russian Motherland. I also tried to think of other photographers who could have been capable of taking such a powerful and interesting portrait. Only one came immediately to mind: Jane Bown."

Frank Petronio: "Striking portrait of my second favorite world leader, kudos."

Omer: "I see a mask put on by a thug who is wholly inconsiderate of the consequences of his actions. And yes, contemptuous, suggesting a psychosis that makes him dangerous."

Chris Dematté: "No wonder that it was never published. Too close to a running gag of the Russian opposition:

Mike replies: ...And our visual antecedents cast a wider net!

Nigel: "I think the picture is made by the vestigial fallen halo formed by the rim of the military cap,behind him. While completely out of keeping with what we know about Putin, it adds a suggestion of soul (and vulnerability?) to what is normally an expression as soulless as that of a shark."

Mike replies: I agree, and if it does have that subliminal connotation then it matters that it is askew as well...perfect....

Comments

[Jim]

I had the good fortune to go on a photo workshop in Havana with Peter and will attend another one in Santiago, Cuba this April. His book, French Kiss is one of my favorites.

[Jim Kofron]

Filed under random excellence! No doubt about the excellence, but Peter has enough of a track record so that I doubt it was random. It's a great photo...

[David Lee]

What a nice portrait. Putin is what he is. I would never play poker with him.

[Stephen Gilbert]

An amazing photo. Who'd have thought an image of Vlad could make him seem human?

[Maggie Osterberg]

I can't help but think of George W. Bush's line about Putin:

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy."

Gorgeous tones and what a portrait, Peter. I can't believe it didn't get published.

[Doug Thacker]

Putin looks like a Russian school boy who's just been told he's failed ethics class, and will have to repeat. I'd be interested in hearing more about the "persistence, luck, and serendipity" that led to getting this image. That sounds like a good story in itself. Any ideas about why Newsweek never used the photo?

[Peter indicated that there wasn't a clear explanation at the time and that he's always assumed it was one of those things that can happen in "the fast-paced life of a weekly news magazine with lots of constantly moving parts." He said he's very proud of his almost two-decade career with NEWSWEEK and is grateful for their long term support of his work. --Mike]

[Herman]

Are these the same eyes that George Bush looked into and found Putin to be very straightforward and trustworthy?

[Eric Brody]

Vlad the impaler!

[Dave Kee]

When shooting models at a group shoot, I simply repeat over and over as nicely as I can: "Please look at me." It works.

[Wayne]

Was this photo enhanced in any way, i.e. PP? I ask, not to embarrass myself, but because it is so outstanding, and I, so incapable of producing something like this. I have seen individuals with that much depth in their stare, but never captured so well on film. It makes me think of a photo of Lincoln where he is staring straight into the camera. That photo sticks with me, not so much because it is Lincoln, but for the same reason this photo will stick with me.

[Herman]

Say Cheese!

[Bill wheeler]

I find it difficult to "read" this face. Bill

[Kenneth Tanaka]

When people fantasize about following their camera around the world to photograph international celebrities and world events I doubt that they also imagine "... a very difficult task which required lots of persistence, luck, and serendipity..." to get just one image like this. And then to have it binned. The disrupted lives, the crappy food, traveling while you're sick, various personal safety and security issues, feeling completely disrespected, the finagling and ass-kissing, and crappy pay...for a good spread or a cover. Every good press shot has such a story behind it.

[Lynn]

What a fascinating portrait. There is a tiredness, a world-weariness to this look that transfixes.. perhaps with an aloof empathy? Well done, Peter!

To me it looks as if the whites of the eyes have been lightened just a touch. Was that the case?

[richardplondon]

Herman: as far as I can find out, French people are more likely to be asked to mention a marmoset - a "ouistiti" - which produces the same sort of stretched-cheek, teeth-bared, vaguely crazed expression that "cheese" would have done.

[emr]

Speaking about president portraits, I saw this one yesterday; great photo:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/opinion/pause-this-presidency.html

[Donald]

Seems to me that the essence of a great portrait, like this, is that it is a reflection of ourselves. We see what we want to see.

[Andrew Molitor]

It's quite wonderful to read the comments here! Seeing people project on to a portrait various and sundry ideas about Putin is so very interesting.

To me, he just looks like a tired eastern european guy.

[Stan B.]

It's interesting to see the slant that colors the interpretation of this portrait. It's a striking portrait- no doubt, but people are freely associating whatever they please based on their personal bias of said person. I think the particular look he displays (a rather complex and nuanced one at that) could represent a wide variety of (other) emotions if he were anonymous. Are those eyes really dead and/or calculating, or have they just suffered tremendous loss? Is the overall look one of defiance or indifference, or the aftermath of life changing tragedy?

[Dave Stewart]

I noted that it's a scan, and wondered if it was from a film photograph that was perhaps printed by the great Voja Mitrovic... ?

[Calum Fraser]

My own portrait of Putin...quick snapshot on a dog sledding trip to Svalbard last year. Not a patch on Mr Turnley's but somehow says quite a lot.

[Jeff]

Both are very similar portraits... healthy looking men with good skin tones and chiseled facial features that make them attractive. It's the eyes, I think, that possess the uniquely communist quality. I was in a former communist country about ten years ago and I felt that it was my expression, in my eyes, that immediately revealed that I was a Westerner to them. My skin, clothes, and language (as I was silent walking around ) did not reveal this. It was Estonia, a relatively poor but rising country, and I was surprised to find myself being followed. I have not had any similar experience in the 15+ foreign countries that I've visited, some poor, but with non-communist cultural backgrounds. There's a great amount of information, in the eyes, in these excellent portraits.

[Alan Carmody]

I see a sad and weary face, yet unbeaten. My subjective two bits.

[Griffo Yger]

What an excellent portrait. It reveals what Putin was to become famous for in the years to come: a man of his word. No excuses. No quarters given.