How we photographed a man at the helm of the art world

This week’s top photo comes from Visual Journalist Anthony Vazquez. Follow him on Instagram.

What makes this photo important?

I photographed James Rondeau, president and director of Art Institute of Chicago, for a feature marking his 10-year anniversary leading the museum. The story covers his career and the museum’s plans for renovation and expansion. Because the article also reports on the 2025 incident involving his conduct on a flight to Germany, I needed to capture a portrait that felt serious and balanced. My goal was to provide an image that evoked his professional vision for the museum’s future and the personal controversy he had to address.

How did you get the photo?

This photo was a challenge because museum lighting is usually kept low. I did not have a lot of time to experiment, so I was a bit nervous about lighting it. I used two flashes, one on each side of the subject. I used umbrellas to soften the light so it did not look harsh. I also color corrected my flashes to match the warm yellow glow of the room so the lighting looked natural instead of clashing.

One of the biggest hurdles was the glass. While we did take some photos away from the glass, I wanted to add depth to the image by placing Rondeau between displays. I had to carefully position my lights to avoid creating big, distracting reflections. To add some depth and character to the portrait, I kept the light on the left side slightly stronger than the one on the right. This created a subtle shadow that gave his face more contrast and a more dramatic feel. I played around with the space and tried different angles, and I ultimately liked the look through the glass.

Technical details:

• Equipment: Canon R5
• Focal length: 70
• Shutter: 1/250
• Aperture: 2.8
• ISO: 1600

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