The Presidential and Official portraits may be going by the wayside. According to this story, Official Portraits Draw Skeptical Gaze, in the Washington Post by Christopher Lee, is the cost to the taxpayer justified? Official portraits can range from about $30,000 – $70,000. That’s about right considering the length of time to paint one — average 6 months. The article suggests that perhaps a nice photo would do. I have to weigh in here. I really appreciate portrait as well as other photography, but the painting can capture more than the snapshot. For the labor and the importance of historical tradition it is well worth the cost – particularly for…