Sunday Magazine Network

Lord Geller Federico Einstein was another great agency. They trusted me with some easy jobs but this one wasn't. I learned to light glass on this job as it was the first of many. The ice is fake and since it was black and white the liquid was weak tea. Jean Marcellino used me more than most and she loved this shot. It's one where the layout was matched by the image. I always knew that Jean's layouts would work that way.

Rhone-Poulenc

Geers Gross was a great Advertising Agency. This is a good example of the kinds of layouts we used to get. A nice sketch that demonstrates everything that is needed for the final image. Before the shoot it is the photographer's duty to find and rent the props and book the talent. For some reason we shot this in an office not the studio. The art director and I made a mess until she loved what she saw in the Polaroids. Then it was 6 rolls of 120mm Tri-X, processing, contact sheets and later, the final prints. Life seems easier now.

DDB and Polaroid

Another one for DDB. This one was fun. I had the bow created by a prop builder and the camera was delivered to the studio. After that it was just a matter for lighting the camera nicely and following the layout. I guess that's what this blog is all about anyway,

Pilot Pens

I've always been hired because I know how to control light. Photography is all about the light. The only way to capture an image is to have light bounce off the product. How we edit the light is all about the product we are shooting. For these pens, we needed a broad light so I used a bank. The light bank brought the long highlights that showed different elements that made the pens. A retractable fountain pen? Even back then that was weird.

PCH contest

PCH has been around for a long time. Back in the day, I shot for companies like Lillian Vernon and JCPenny directly just to stay busy. This image was for Smith Advertising. Ed Smith had many clients like this. I love this shot but I might have lit it a little differently now.

DDB, Welches and Ore-ida

This one, like most, was nothing but fun. The agency was Doyle Dane Bernbach and the AD was Jose Matamales. 

Shooting the Tater Tot bag and Welch's can were pretty standard but the fun really began when I had to use a real room and fireplace. The agency scouted and found the room and a prop stylist brought the dishes and tablecloth. I created Santa's legs out of stuffed red flannel plus boots. A food stylist prepared the food and set the table. I lit the shot and captured this image. All that work for a small FSI with a coupon. But like I said, everyone was great and this job was nothing but fun.

How to get paid twice

 

This was a weird one. The goal was to imagine an Oil Heat Monster for the Brooklyn Union Gas company. The first idea was monster teeth biting down on money monster-like. We booked a model and had a dentist create fangs that would fit over his actual teeth. We asked him to not shave for a few days before the shoot, lit the image in a gutsy manner, had him bite down on actual money and then shot a bunch of 120mm film. The agency (Moss Advertising) had a die-transfer print made and got ready to go to print. It was then that one of the bosses at Brooklyn Union Gas was in bed with his wife and showed her the ad. All she had to say was "will that image be misunderstood?" That's all it took. Away went the ad. The next layout had a hand grabbing money. Like I said, we got paid twice for one ad. Not quite as cool as the first try but the money was great.