USA Olympic Portraits

So here's your typical Olympic portrait.

This hurts my eyes it's so bloody patriotic. The only way it could be more patriotic is if she was punching the air screaming 'USA! USA!'. Maybe she was and just got tired, who knows.

Anyway, below are the 2012 Olympic portraits, shot by Joe Klamar for Getty, which have been causing quite a stir. A lot of people think they're shoddy, unprofessional and, well, crap. My immediate thoughts were pretty much the same, but now I'm not so sure. No, they're not as sickeningly patriotic as the previous image, but so what? Isn't it time that was left behind? 

Yes, they're unconventional, but just because they're different doesn't make them wrong. Maybe they're meant not to be so outrageously polished, but rather to show some edge, some honestly, some of the past few years that have been rather rough for the good old US of A, and some of the grit that these athletes need. What do you think? You can see the full set over on CBS.