Assistants doing the work? Almost. Back in the early 1980's, I shot (photographs) for the world famous, and late Michael E. Debakey. His also famous Debakey Transplant Team performed some of the mose challenging heart transplants to be imagined, and with the utmost precision. Many times, Dr. MED wasn't there, or made a brief appearance. Yes, his team did the work and performed the operation from donor to recipient, from shut down of the heart to a restart. They did the work. Dr. Debakey got the credit in the news. Why? Because this team operated under his direction, under his trust, with his direction and criteria, and with his understanding that he would be consulted if necessary. Just like Annie Leibovitz, he's the principal control and ultimately responsible to the client - whoever that may be. That's what great people do - they assemble great teams and let them do their thing. Unless you have been part of such an organization and understand its workings and inter-relationships, don't criticize.
Thanks for pointing this out. As surgery has become on industry, perhaps photography is becoming one as well, with industrial-strength marketing and production processes, with the CEO taking the credit (and paycheck). What a vision!
That's the way all the great masters worked in the renaissance, just the way it goes, I dont see what the issue is here.
Hardly. The Renaissance masters of course employed assistants for the grunt work and might have allowed them to do some minor work on minor commissions, as Leonardo did for Verrocchio when learning the trade. Leibovitz for one thing is not in the same league in her field as da Vinci or Debakey in theirs.
However it started with looking at that picture, the wolf lady (linked to in the article), which I and others thought was a very bad picture, and trying to guess how Annie could turn out such a poor product.
When you see a movie, you know it's the director who pulled it all together, but he relies on a staff of many. You know a conductor requires proficient musicians to pull off a good concert.
When we read a book we tend to forget that an editor and publisher was involved, but we always take that to be a "review" layer rather than an "active contribution".
There are many professions we know are team professions.
I can only speak for people of my social standing or below, but when we see photographers they often seem to be working solo. Studio portraits, school photographer, wedding photographer. Occasional documentaries about the likes of Lord Litchfield show us their assistants holding reflectors, deflectors etc. Then you see fashion photographers, they work as a team, again assistants for loading and adjusting lights under the photographers direction.
Under all these circumstances the person with the camera in hand (or on tripod), adjusting focus and exposure is "the photographer". Now to see that they walk in, set up the shot, and let someone else shoot it. Are they still a photographer, or a director of photography? Hasn't a demarcation line been crossed?
I guess that's the trouble with a brand name. Henry Ford no longer designs cars for his company (did he ever?), Kenwood now make more than just food mixers., Annie Leibovitz is now a photography studio, not a photographer.
Maybe it's time I updated my thinking about things, and see where my respect truly lies.
captch - purito. Hmm, I wonder if the subliminally alter the way you think about your post.
heheh.. all these years I thought I was a lousy photographer. Turns out I'm just lacking in assistants. Seems to me she just sort of phoned this one in. Its a bad pic and just putting Leibovitz on it doesnt make it good. In this case the emperor has no clothes.
Assistants doing the work?
ReplyDeleteAlmost.
Back in the early 1980's, I shot (photographs) for the world famous, and late Michael E. Debakey. His also famous Debakey Transplant Team performed some of the mose challenging heart transplants to be imagined, and with the utmost precision. Many times, Dr. MED wasn't there, or made a brief appearance. Yes, his team did the work and performed the operation from donor to recipient, from shut down of the heart to a restart. They did the work. Dr. Debakey got the credit in the news. Why? Because this team operated under his direction, under his trust, with his direction and criteria, and with his understanding that he would be consulted if necessary. Just like Annie Leibovitz, he's the principal control and ultimately responsible to the client - whoever that may be. That's what great people do - they assemble great teams and let them do their thing. Unless you have been part of such an organization and understand its workings and inter-relationships, don't criticize.
Sure, if and when it works, it's a great thing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing this out. As surgery has become on industry, perhaps photography is becoming one as well, with industrial-strength marketing and production processes, with the CEO taking the credit (and paycheck). What a vision!
ReplyDeleteThat's what great people do - they assemble great teams and let them do their thing.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty clear that this is not the case with Leibovitz. She doesn't appear to give much direction.
That's the way all the great masters worked in the renaissance, just the way it goes, I dont see what the issue is here.
ReplyDeleteThat's the way all the great masters worked in the renaissance, just the way it goes, I dont see what the issue is here.
ReplyDeleteHardly. The Renaissance masters of course employed assistants for the grunt work and might have allowed them to do some minor work on minor commissions, as Leonardo did for Verrocchio when learning the trade. Leibovitz for one thing is not in the same league in her field as da Vinci or Debakey in theirs.
There isn't an issue, it's just an observation.
ReplyDeleteHowever it started with looking at that picture, the wolf lady (linked to in the article), which I and others thought was a very bad picture, and trying to guess how Annie could turn out such a poor product.
When you see a movie, you know it's the director who pulled it all together, but he relies on a staff of many. You know a conductor requires proficient musicians to pull off a good concert.
ReplyDeleteWhen we read a book we tend to forget that an editor and publisher was involved, but we always take that to be a "review" layer rather than an "active contribution".
There are many professions we know are team professions.
I can only speak for people of my social standing or below, but when we see photographers they often seem to be working solo. Studio portraits, school photographer, wedding photographer. Occasional documentaries about the likes of Lord Litchfield show us their assistants holding reflectors, deflectors etc. Then you see fashion photographers, they work as a team, again assistants for loading and adjusting lights under the photographers direction.
Under all these circumstances the person with the camera in hand (or on tripod), adjusting focus and exposure is "the photographer". Now to see that they walk in, set up the shot, and let someone else shoot it. Are they still a photographer, or a director of photography? Hasn't a demarcation line been crossed?
I guess that's the trouble with a brand name. Henry Ford no longer designs cars for his company (did he ever?), Kenwood now make more than just food mixers., Annie Leibovitz is now a photography studio, not a photographer.
Maybe it's time I updated my thinking about things, and see where my respect truly lies.
captch - purito. Hmm, I wonder if the subliminally alter the way you think about your post.
heheh.. all these years I thought I was a lousy photographer. Turns out I'm just lacking in assistants.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me she just sort of phoned this one in. Its a bad pic and just putting Leibovitz on it doesnt make it good. In this case the emperor has no clothes.
I love how most people when asked to mention a famous cartoonist will say "Walt Disney".
ReplyDelete