Cover shots

I live in an apartment building where we have the typical row of narrow metal mailboxes. Large catalogs and packages don't fit in them, and we don't have a doorman or a proper lobby. The postal carriers used to toss these items in the tray below the boxes, but lately they've been sliding them, still rubber-banded together, in the gap under the door. As I'm often home during the day, I usually get the honors of unwrapping this package of catalogs and fliers and finding out perhaps more about my neighbors than they wanted me to know.

For example, my downstairs neighbor got a "Welcome to AARP!" package today. So I suppose he recently celebrated his 50th birthday, or is just about to. Another neighbor got something the other day from Soka Gakkai, but I don't suppose from what I know about that organization that she'd be disappointed for me to find that out (unless she is no longer practicing with them, or never was). My own haul today revealed that I went to Northwestern University (got their alumni magazine), patronize Calumet Photo (got their catalog), and care at least somewhat about fitness (once ordered some sports bras online from Champion, and am now on their snailmail list too).

I used to hate this kind of mail and recycle it as quickly as possible, but as a photographer, I now take a closer look at the photos. Even if it's a subject I'd probably never shoot, it's interesting and educational to see what photos are considered good enough to make the cut for major retailers. I've seen some great photos that made the catalog or magazine a real treat to view, and some awful ones that made me wonder if they got a low-res file from some microstock site.

Besides Blue Bear, which uses some of my photos in nearly all of their catalogs, my only catalog cover to date is the one at the top of this entry. I was working for the UCSF Library at the time, and we had a retreat which involved, in part, kayaking and rope climbing. (The UCSF Center for Knowledge Management was the most active, fit group of nerds one could ever hope to work with.) I can't swim and have a poor sense of balance, so I really didn't want to do either of these activities. Since I was leaving this job soon anyway, our manager suggested that I take photos instead, so I could still contribute something to the experience. I did so gladly, and she liked the photos so much she submitted them to the Fitness and Recreation department, who used one on the cover of their next catalog and more throughout its pages, for that issue and several thereafter.

I don't technically own this work as I was a university employee doing this shoot in the course of my actual duties (part of why as a freelancer I now insist on retaining copyright and refuse to do any "work for hire"). But I'm still proud of my work. I may never get a photo on the cover of Rolling Stone, but I know I'm a good photographer and people like what I produce, so there's always hope!