Even though the rumors of Lincoln's bad looks stayed mostly within Democratic circles, he didn't want them to spread and turned to a well-known photographer, Mathew Brady.
In many ways, Brady seemed like the perfect candidate: yes, he did not take many of his own photos, but he "conceptualized images, arranged the sitters, and oversaw the production of pictures." Plus, according to the New York Times, Brady was "not averse to certain forms of retouching."
In February 1860, right before Lincoln gave the Cooper Union Address that would help secure him the Republican presidential nomination, Brady had Lincoln pose for what would soon become one of the first widely disseminated photographs of the soon-to-be president.
Lincoln places his hand on two books, his eyes staring into the camera; behind him is a column and a neutrally colored wall. Click.
To quash once and for all the rumors of Lincoln's ugliness, Brady also added some special effects. He focused excessive amounts of light on Lincoln’s face in order to distract the viewers from his frame. He had the future president curl up his fingers so that they wouldn't appear that long. And, finally, Brady even "artificially enlarged" Lincoln's collar so that his neck would look more proportional.
There's no right or wrong photography. It's whatever you prefer.
