I'm attaching another picture of him. This is easily my favorite dark elf photo period.
This picture is a prime example of photo quality and lighting making all the difference. Being the same model and being indoors and as such less environmental messing with their makeup. This picture is the popular DE picture choice and it is such for a reason, its amazing. The picture looks professional, polished, and a good resolution.
The picture in the Race section, is a player (who arguably could be mistaken for a different person) who clearly has been active and outside (quite possibly the worst for a full makeup race), and their makeup has suffered as a result. It provides a realistic approach that our players "look" the part but aren't studio ready at all times. Which is a fine approach, if the pictures throughout the book kept this consistency. It has an angle & Lighting which take away more than it adds, and looks overall less professional and appears to be lower resolution. None of which is the fault of the player, and as I said previously likely look like a rockstar in person and it was simply just not their greatest photo which showcases the race, and racial requirements. Which the attached photo demonstrates that difference, especially knowing that the two players are the same person.
I agree a lot of DE players are using a "Gun Metal Grey". [Popular color choices are "Storm" and "Monster/Zombie" Grey] Because the change was for darker aspects of blue/purple (although clearly still blue or purple) and then Grey... not "dark" Grey. At night, makeup barely matters, because in the dark the only people who's make up you can usually see anyway is stone elves until you return to your tavern and see people in the light again. Not to mention with the makeup change, a lot of people needed to get new makeup and some also switch companies or makeup type. So its a new learning experience for any player in a game who only gets to play 1/2 the year.
All in all, the book flips back and forth between "Polished and Professional" and "Work in progress". Which I think exemplifies this call for public review and copy-editing. Things like ensuring photos are of similar quality, size, and placement. Sections of the book follow the same format within a section or across multiple sections are a big deal when concerning the aesthetics of material.