Portraits in Power: Usha Vance for The Free Press

Portraits in Power: Usha Vance for The Free Press (Rory Lewis Political Portrait Photographer)

I was commissioned by The Free Press to photograph Usha Vance, the Second Lady of the United States. The session took place at her residence on Observatory Hill—a quiet morning where pale spring light slipped through bare branches and drifted softly across cream silk and wide-leg tailoring. The atmosphere carried both intimacy and a quiet sense of national importance.

The portraits accompany Peter Savodnik’s feature, “Meet Usha Vance: MAGA’s Enigmatic Second Lady,” and seek to reveal Usha in a balance of poise and quiet resolve. Shot entirely in natural light on the veranda, in the curved library, and by the hearth, each location offered a frame that echoed both approachability and authority.

Styling remained understated and true to her sensibility: an ivory silk tie-neck blouse, tailored black trousers, and classic pumps—an elegant simplicity reminiscent of public service at its most refined and considered. Every composition was guided by light, gesture, and authenticity. My intention, as always, was to allow the portrait to support the voice of the subject, not overshadow it.

Portraits in Power: Usha Vance for The Free Press (Rory Lewis Political Portrait Photographer)

Portraits in Power: Usha Vance for The Free Press (Rory Lewis Political Portrait Photographer)

Across my career, I have photographed political figures from presidents and prime ministers to local councillors and cabinet secretaries. Political portraiture demands more than documentation; it asks for revelation—a distillation of character beneath title. In Usha Vance, I encountered a figure who is at once reserved, incisive, and, as Savodnik notes, perhaps the most intriguing Second Lady since Abigail Adams.

This sitting marks a new entry in my ongoing exploration of power and portraiture—where history, identity, and influence meet in a single frame. As the 2025 political season unfolds, these quiet images reflect the quieter forces shaping American politics.

Read the full profile in The Free Press:
“Meet Usha Vance: MAGA’s Enigmatic Second Lady”