What it all means: "I have five years, ten tops, to land that gig modeling Young Men's Underwear in the JC Penney catalog."

Yea, it's obvious one photo is more "styled."
And I think that's the danger this kid will face..."the expert suits" will inflict too much of their bland brand of "one-size-fits-all" pop star polish on this kid.
He's a natural, who's wild appeal, which spans across the demos,
( the over-used "soccer mom" comments not-withstanding), is his uneasy charm, humility...the shy teenager, who just happens to have a huge and very valid talent.
I hope the so-called experts lay off, or at least eventually "get it" and let him shine as-is, an original, rather than shape him into yet another concocted cookie-cutter teen idol.

I like the second picture best. It represents who he is better. David looks more assured in the second one, and he is more assured these days. He just doesn't take a bad picture, though, so it's hard to complain.

David is an incredibly talented singer and has a sweet, endearing personality, as well. That unique musicality is rare, too, where every time he sings a song, it's a little different. Reminds me of a talented jazz singer improvising, except he likes pop with a soulful vibe.

I think he's terrific, that he will be HUGELY successful. I'll do my part by buying every CD he ever puts out. Love that exquisite voice and that beautiful soul of his!

I think the second one is definitely the seasoned David Archuleta: the one that poured his heart and soul into the finale performances, the one who took his loss gracefully and with a sense of humility and self-awareness, and the one who is raring to dive into a career in an industry he truly loves.

Selling of the second picture couldn't be pulled off until the final votes were in. David A. is ready to prove himself to the world.

David has the 2 sides: an innocent and insecure kid and the handsome charming teenager and this is very interesting.