In this photograph, Nicholas II is looking directly over his shoulder at the photographer. In this moment, the viewer can see that Nicholas was interrupted in his lunch and conversation in order to pose quickly for the photo.
In this candid snapshot of Nicholas II he is telling a story during an outside lunch as the other participants smile while listening. This image is particularly striking because the tsar is relaxed and happy. His image of an autocratic ruler is not seen here.
In the same year that the Standart was launched, Nicholas II started to take photos of himself and his family. He began to include photos in his personal diary and created his first photo album. He also encouraged his daughters to do this as well. This photo is particularly interesting for the direct gaze that the Tsar gives the photographer.
In this rare photograph, the viewer is given an unlikely image of Nicholas, one in which he is in deep thought. The letter he is reading is from an unknown source, yet its contents must have been serious as he is not distracted by the photographer.
Crawling in the ground, in the unlikely Nicholas II. It appears he is searching for something or laying in wait. It is an artistic image of the last tsar of Russia.
