Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — You can tell so much about a person sitting down for a portrait, particularly if it’s someone in a position of power. Photographers who have made sessions with politicians and cultural movers have attested as much.

The New Yorker photographer Platon, who set up a small studio at the UN General Assembly to photograph 50 of the most powerful people in the world, has a few stories behind the scenes, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, “Platon, make me look good” or then Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad giggling “like a little boy.”

In the tradition of the history-making portraits from the 2016 Vice Presidential debate of CNN Philippines, we also set up a portrait booth during the first CNN Philippines Senatorial Forum. The eight senatorial hopefuls had varied responses while posing in front of the camera for a proper photograph, which is quite a rare moment in the age of instant selfies.

There is so much that goes into a portrait of a person. There’s the stance, their body language, the lines on their faces, or even the way they respond to direction. And combined with the photographer’s approach to portraiture, a simple sit-down could capture a snapshot of history; an image that can be remembered for a long time.

Below are the results of the portrait sessions, just a few hours before each of them went onstage to appeal for the Senatorial Forum.