Nov
17
Photos
By
I was reading Danielle Sacks' article on Alex Bogusky the other day, and I was reminded of how much I liked one of the companion photos.
This is Andrew Keller (on the left) and Rob Reilly, co-executive creative directors at Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Coconspiring with photographer Peter Yang and Fast Company, Andrew and Rob demurred when asked to offer up the standard photo. They gave us this. (If all motion picture images are really still, this still is superbly motionful.)
Let's face it, the portrait photo has been waiting to be put out of its misery for some time now. Those most rebellious of creatures, the rock and roll artist, still submit for magazine photos, but you can tell it costs them what's left of their artistic integrity to do so. How many ways can you glower at the camera?
The business journalism is worse than the music press. It's all stand and deliver. Shoulders squared. Chin up. I am, the sitter says, that perfect balance of stability and imagination. You may invest with confidence in me.
Dude. In a culture that prizes innovation, cranking out the same old photo sends another message altogether. Something like: um, I haven't had a new idea in a very long time.
Hats off to Keller, Reilly, Yang, Sacks and Fast Company.
References
Sacks, Danielle. 2008. Can Alex Bogusky Help Microsoft Beat Apple? Fast Company. Issue 126. June. here.
Nicely put.
First time I got my photo taken for a trade press article I was told, “don’t smile son, they’ll use the same photo when you get fired.” Now I reckon a fists flying action pose would look brilliant beside an article about my sacking. The world would certainly be a better place if all business photos were fun – sofa surfing disgraced bankers would look brilliant across the financial pages.
My personal favorites are the back jacket photos of authors. If I had a nickel for every one of those that features the ‘thoughtful fist on chin’ pose I would be writing this from Aruba, not New Jersey.
How great would it be if a murder mystery writer posed with a bloody knife, or if a business writer was shot in a McDonalds uniform.
Another source of inspiration is the Emmy awards for best writing, variety, musical or comedy. The nominees are always Daily Show, Letterman, Colbert Report and they always do something humorous, like showing disgraced African dictators instead of the actual writers.
Why are authors, and most business people in general, so stuffy when it comes to photos?
All part of the crisis of artificiality that is crashing down on the corporate universe. Nice catch, Grant.
Its funny because Alex really at the end of the day – is a simple guy.