There is Rhetoric in image production. Symbolism and iconography play a role in communicating messages. What is important is being able to identify the symbols that are key in interpreting an image. These can be a marker of some sort that act like a "key" that guides the image to its underlining message. Is it is important to note that the way one comes to an image is built upon his or her lived experiences and enculturation. Therefore, there is inherent with interpretation a built in bias from both the producer and the on-looker of the image. But with that said, the following are images found in the New York Times and several other publications of the living presidents of the United States coming together in the Oval Office. I use these pictures as an example of what I am talking about. Notice the ties and the color of the ties and who is wearing what color and how they are choreographed in the picture.

You know that old saying "A picture is worth a thousand words." On or about January 7, 2009, the New York times published a couple of photographs of the five living presidents coming together for a "Caucus" in the Oval Office of the White House. The series of pictures are very interesting and I wonder what is the underlining message of these photographs.