Steven Meisel - Photographer

[Urban Stylin]

loveem

[Eddie Wang]

Don't know how many of you are devoted fashion magazine addicts. I am personally and go great lengths every month to see every possible fashion magazine available from all over the world. Very difficult task, but someone's got to do it. Anyways back to the main topic. Every magazine you pick up almost is a gurantee that it contains a Meisel picture. The Italian vogue is basically his own publication with him shooting covers for practically every issue. Not only does he shoot editorials he shoots tons of ad. campaigns as well. I just don't see a point of him shooting anymore. It almost seems like an equation that he worked out and now he's just plotting people in the same setting season after season. For example the D&G campaign in the room with the flowers. My god... I've seen that room in tons of his past pictures. I have never seen a photogapher overuse a set like that. Also lately he seems to be promoting Daria Werbowy A LOT. That is the only good thing that I think he's doing, since I think she deserves a break from the rest. Are we out of photographers? Recently Newton passed away in an accident so there is one less influential figure in the fashion industry. Someone please find and give new photographers a chance. Meisel is a shooting machine, not a fashion photographer deserving of such status and high pay.

[grayspline]

hehe.. very tricky topic

being a fashion photographer myself (an unknown/beginner one) i share your whole opinion about this. But, now expect to have M.Testino taking his place ...

[marc jacobs addict]

Originally posted by grayspline@Jan 27th, 2004 - 4:54 pm
But, now expect to have M.Testino taking his place ...

agree. mario testino keeps getting more and more work.

also, craig mcdean has been seeing a lot of editorial work for vogue lately.

[Lena]

i so prefer testino to meisel

uniform photographic mood is too bad for fashion mags

[FC5]

Meisel = Xerox, a copy, taking what has gone before and refining it. A skill that shouldn't be underestimated but should be seen as what it is.

Testino is great at capturing a moment. Often one that exists only for him perhaps, but he does it incredibly well - his portraits outshine his fashion work by some considrable margin. Unfortunately that is also his weakness, he is an observer, recording what is already there (or, when at his best, what could be there) better than anyone else. But what he doesn't do is innovate, create from scratch.

[Eddie Wang]

Word... All you have really valid points. I think Meisel doesn't have an edge at all. But Craig is a **** face for the YSL campaign. Total bootleg of my all time hero, Guy Bourdin. Then lately I saw Raymond Meier's portfolio and it's a copy of Craig. What has happened to the fashion industry. Lately I'm losing faith in the industry. Trying to be a part in it as a fashion photographer doesn't seem to great now because of the disappointed quality of work that all these "name brand" photographers are putting out. It's generic photography that means big bucks or a bunch of random photographers shooting for free. What should I do?!?

[mikeijames]

Meisel has created some of my favorite campaigns over the past few years...but I am curious? How exactly are most photographers chosen to work a campaign or editorial? And who retains rights to the images? Say, I really liked a Spring campaign by Testino, could I call him up to get a print?

[FC5]

Depends on the terms of the contract.

The starting point is that the photographer owns copyright in their work and then licenses the images to the client on a specified, fixed term basis. So client can use those images for the usage agreed - say "12 months, worldwide consumer magazine adverts, US only for posters". It is the scale of usage that determines the fee - along with a premium for the photographer's name. There will be an exclusivity term when the photographer can't do anything else with those images for that time. Even after that there will be contracts with the models and stylists that may prevent the photographer using those images again even though they own the copyright.

However some clients may try to get a copyright buyout so they would own all rights - generally resisted by photographers but, if the money is right...

Your best bet of getting an image from a campaign (other than a magazine tear) is to contact a retailer and see if you can get a point of sale poster. Regardless of who owns the rights neither client or photographer is likely to print something up specially for you.

[Urban Stylin]

meisel s work is good but it doesnt really excite someone only in very rare times
as for testino.....he s my hero!!he can make anyone look happy and beautiful

[smashinfashion]

meisel and testino both bore me.

some of you mentioned you were interested in being fashion photographers..do you have a link to some of your work? i'd love to see it.

[softgrey]

I think a lot of the best photographers do not shoot for american publications because they are too commercial and too safe. All American magazines are trying to be like Lucky. Since we lost Harper's bazaar-because as far as I'm concerned, it died when Liz Tilberis did-we don't have a really strong magazine producing iconic imagesin this country.

some of the best fashion photography is now ad campaigns. They have bigger budgets and more creative freedom than editorial stories. Whenever people complain about the number of ads in a mag, it makes me chuckle, because that's the reason I buy a magazine, very often, to see the new campaigns.

I will love Meisel forever, but I don't think it means we can't have some new blood...Testino...he's not an innovator-as someone mentioned...Matt and Markus always seem to get it right. Nathaniel Goldberg is another fave of mine-based in London.

I've watched so many people come and go-crash and burn. It's unbelievable how quickly you can see your career go in the toilet-just one high profile mistake and you're done...ie.Gucci-they tried a bunch of people and then after 9/11-time to play it safe-call testino back.

The thing with some of these guys you see shooting all the time is that they are consistent and you are guaranteed to get the shots you need. This is usually more important to the client than disovering new talent...It makes sense from a business point of view, but it's annoying...

Same story for stylists...

[Nemova]

There's a brazilian photographer, Daniel Klajmic, who's fantastic, but doesn't seem to get much attention on international mags. I'll try to upload some of his pics, he's got a great technique and he works with light and shadows wonderfully.

Nemova

[Meg]

I'm reviving this topic because a girl I met today said that she did a shot for Dolce and Gabbana where she is in a white suit...sitting on a chair with a green croc bag....but it's not in these. Anyone know where I can find it? I want to see her!

[ShaunD_is_Fine]

the Prada is great. ive always thought Prada models wer hideous until now so its nice to see some justice done to their clothes