These photos were most certainly not staged. This was a spontaneous celebration of hope and life, by those who haven't been taught the politics of hatred and prejudice. I *suppose* that you could call the last photo 'staged', in the same way that you would 'stage' a photo of a family picnic when you ask Aunt Millie to put down the potato salad for a moment and smile for the camera.
Sorry but, isn't that the whole point? If it's "spontaneous", that means the photographer takes pictures without coaching anyone.
This obviously isn't the case in these pictures, since it doesn't take much to know that the two kids wouldn't know what they were doing much less flashing signs to the camera while looking straight at it.
It's staged. The crowd is irrelevant. It's like going out in the street, stopping a random person and asking him to make a sign for the camera then claiming it was spontaneous because the other people walking on the street didn't know what was going on. It doesn't work that way.
So, fundamentally, if you have a picture of Aunt Millie smiling at the camera, at the family picnic, you *do* consider that a staged photograph.
Fine.
Personally, I disagree - staged is doing something
[quote]
written for or performed on the stage; "a staged version of the novel"
arranged: deliberately arranged for effect; "one of those artfully staged photographs
[/quote]
You're attempting to justify your cynicism by calling a fairly obvious impromptu thing between a pair of kids 'staged'. This is the mark of an amateur cynic - a truly talented cynic such as myself prefers to recognize that these kids were cute, presume they did it without coaching, and know in his heart of hearts that Obama will disappoint anyway.
Presidents disappoint, those elected with high hope moreso than those of which mere competence was expected (although, with extraordinary efforts, even they can disappoint. As per Sarah Vowel on The Daily Show)
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=129785&title=sarah-vowell
"I talk about going through his inaugeration and crying because . . .
'I was so afraid he would wreck the economy and muck up the drinking water' . . .
The failure of my pessimistic imagination at that moment boggles my mind now . . ."
That said, hey, if we aim for a messiah-like opening of the heavens and the singing of a choir of angels, perhaps I can deal with the disappointment of mere competence.
Jonnan <-- I lie - I'm not cynical, I'm sardonic. That's cynical with a sense of humor.