Lord Calvert for DDB

Just as we were well into our second year, here came a liquor ad for Lord Calvert! The agency was Doyle Dane Bernbach and the art director was most likely Jose Matamales. The holy grail for still photographers continues to be alcohol because it pays better than most products. It used to be alcohol and cigarettes but I don't think they advertise those any more. Jose was a friend (as good a friend as you can have when you are ADD) and not only did real awesome jobs like the one above but we did very nice test images as well! He also let me light the way I wished including the first job I shot using strobe sunlight. I light most images that way now.

LGFE

The layout was very tall but the image was going to be a very small part. Still, a simple band-aid had to look great. I shot many tests with actual band-aids and they looked terrible. I ended up making a 6 inch wide band-aid out of cardboard, sticky shelf paper and gauze. Life got much easier as I could lift the thing up off the background, add a nice shadow and make it look perfect. The Lord Geller Federico Einstein art director loved it (still thinks it was a real band-aid) and the ad was great. See? Photographers have to know how to do everything!

One year in the business and working for DDB!

This is the way my 41 year career has always seemed to go. My wife worked in a cool housewares store. A little old lady (probably 40 year old) said to my wife "what does you husband do?" My wife replied " my husband is a commercial photographer who is just starting out." The lady replied; "Well, my husband owns an advertising agency. I'll tell him you husband will be calling." That began a long relationship with Vito Catalano and the Catalano & Gornick agency and when they were bought by Doyle Dane Bernbach, I just began to work for art directors there. So here I was, in business one year, and working for DDB. I was absolutely blessed!