Top Photographers hire Lighting Expert

I read that some of the well known NY photographers (Leibovitz, Klein, McDean, Seliger, etc) hire Steven

Spielberg's Lighting Director to colaborate on their pictures?! Has anyone heard of this before? Doesn't it

seem strange for them to hire the same person? Spielberg movies and fashion photography are miles

apart. I think I'm being put on.

Oh, so what do they do then ... just push the button and put their name under the pic? Because they have a make-up artist, a hairdresser, a set decorator and probably a fashion expert to the dressing of the models ...

 

A good pic is all about the light, a good photographer sees the light ... he doesn't need a lighting expert ...

I wouldn?t put it past some people to hire assistants who specialize in lighting, but Spielberg?s director...I know that when I assisted, the phtographer would have me and other assistants come up with lighting schemes, but he would always adjust them to his liking in the end. Most photographers with any self-respect wouldn?t allow someone else to completely control their light.

As the photographer they bear the ultimate responsibility for the image. But, utilizing the expertise of others specialists in no way reduces or diminishes the image or "taints" the results. Having people assist with photography is nothing new.

 

Your questions... Has anyone heard of this? Yes.

 

Doesn't it seem strange to hire the same person? No, that's why they are called experts.

 

As to weather or not you feel like you are being "put on" I can't help you there.

 

As a creative process photography requires - in many cases, but certainly not all - the assistance of many people besides the photographer. Think of a recording artist. There are technicians assisting in the final result, but we only think of the singer.

 

We admire a new building, know the name of the architect, but perhaps weren't aware of the hundreds of other who participated in the design process.

 

Same with motion pictures.

 

Brining the best people in to work with you on a project gives you access to so many other possibilities but you are the one who will make the decision, you don't have to take the experts advice.

There are some photographers who hire "lighting directors" to help them with shots.

 

It might seem strange if you frame it in the sense that they are hiring movie-maker

Spielberg's Lighting Director (as a designer),

 

but it might make more sense if you think that first, the photographer has a vision of what

lighting he'd like to see, and hires someone to produce it, and two, that some one has to

locate, rent, and set up all this stuff.

 

So it's more like a Lighting Assistant, than a Director.

As far as Spielberg's *main* Lighting Director, him(her)self, I'd say it's BS.

 

Fashion is miles apart from film, and they only meet on occassion. Most Hollywood still

photogs that I've seen put their efforts into set building (production) first, and 'Hollywood'

lighting second.

 

I'm sure that Spielberg has worked with many LD's, but a top of the line Hollywood LD

would be much more likely to be spending his/her time working on new film projects than

doing fashion work. Maybe as a 'guest' lighting director, but then they'd be hiring the

photographer, not visa versa.

 

But there are a lot of lighting directors out there and yes, some (many) of them work with

still photography.

I have no idea about Steven Spielbergs's lighting director, but one thing that continues to amaze me is how similiar cinematography and still photography is. We just rewatched LOTR over Thanksgiving break, and one thing I kept noticing is lighting, composition, colors, etc. I love watching a beautifully filmed.

Peter James, where do you hear such intersting stuff.

Drop me line, on or off line, maybe i add my 2 cents.

m

I'm not sure I get the point of your question. Are you suggesting that famous photog's are charlatans for needing experts to light their photos or is it that it was the SAME person hired?

Also, where did you read of this?

I found it odd they hired the same person, that's all. His name is David Devlin. He started out

in the still world.

I think I once saw a setup for a Leibovitz shoot and it was 9 softboxes all ganged together to make one huge fixture.

 

If nothing else she would need a crew for this.

 

If you ever watch Star Trek Next Generation you see a true lighting genius at work. But the DP has the final say, doesn't she?

The director does, unless the producer is around :)

The lighting experts can do the basic lighting setup and the photographer can tweak the finer points, I don't see any problem with that. Saves some time I guess.

just out of interest is anyone who has commented here a high end fashion or celebrity

photographer?

 

i am sure on occasion some people will hire a light expert to collaborate on a shoot. if you

take the time to look at alot of the work that goes on with the above mentioned, it is

often almost a film set.

 

do you lot really think its not ok to collaborate on a project to help you realise your vision?

dont you think that hair stylist, make up artists, fashion stylists and models have a huge

part to play in the creation also? its not about just the photographer on these shoots, its a

huge team effort?

 

from a chick who DOES light her own work