MacWorld Cover Shoot – Peter Belanger

This is a cool video of a product shoot from start to finish that Peter Belanger posted on his blog (here). You even get to go into the Art Directors office and see him slap the cover lines on the thing. If you visit the macworld website (here) you can discover this appalling fact about magazine production “[We] design twelve initial cover variations, meet about those covers, design twelve more variations, and then pick our favorite.”
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it.

Found it on Art Produce.

Comments 21

  1. Martin Phelps wrote:

    Fascinating video. Desperately dull cover.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 9:37 am
  2. John Fletcher wrote:

    Hey, just put the thing down and shoot it. What’s the big deal? Does he jump out the window there at the end? Funny.

    Thanks.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 9:49 am
  3. Alex wrote:

    Cool video, boring photo and cover.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 9:52 am
  4. Ilja wrote:

    Very cool video! Looks so easy (and I wonder what parts they didn’t show ;-) )

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 10:02 am
  5. Dave C. wrote:

    At the end of the day, that bar code is a bitch!

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 10:05 am
  6. Darrell Eager wrote:

    Nice shot, perfect for the client. Thanks for all involved.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 10:22 am
  7. Anthony wrote:

    That’s why I never shoot products. S0 much futzing and so little pay-off. 2 years of assisting, back in the day, product shooters was more than enough to kill any desire.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 10:46 am
  8. Aaron Brumbelow wrote:

    I love being able to watch photographers work behind the scenes and them being creative in how they present that.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 11:24 am
  9. Max wrote:

    still life is easy… isn’t it?

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 11:59 am
  10. D.R. wrote:

    hmm. Shooting still life…..
    …I’m trying, but failing to come up with something better than the proverbial “I’d rather watch paint dry”.
    I just can’t.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 2:15 pm
  11. Aiden wrote:

    Wow, that was a really cool video. Thanks for sharing.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 2:51 pm
  12. Mark wrote:

    Sure still life is dull, but retouching still life looks even more grim.

    [Reply]

    Debra Weiss Reply:

    @Mark, It is never the object that is dull. It’s how the photographer chooses to photograph the object.

    [Reply]

    A visiting friend Reply:

    @Debra Weiss,

    hmmm…never miss an opportunity, eh?

    [Reply]

    Debra Weiss Reply:

    @A visiting friend, Just stating the obvious, which must not be that obvious. I am always stunned at narrow and judgmental attitudes about photography. To Mark: Perhaps you should take a look at an Outerbridge or Penn or Aaron Jones still life.

    [Reply]

    Christine Blackburne Reply:

    @Mark, Man, I totally geeked out on this, being a still life photographer! Getting that light just right so it reflects just so … damn! That’s what it’s all about. I LOVE it!!! But then again, you put me on a fashion set and I can’t help but crack up at all the ridiculous and often over the top fake personalities. Different strokes …

    [Reply]

    Tom Reply:

    @Mark, Not to gang up on you, Mark, but I have to agree with Christine. Still life is fun. The lighting is everything. Getting it right provides a sense of personal accomplishment. You can’t hide behind a great location.

    And, oh yeah, still life models are usually VERY cooperative. They show up on time, don’t mind working long hours and they don’t eat anything (although that last one holds true for a lot of fashion models as well).

    [Reply]

    Max Reply:

    @Tom, Yes still life is fun, if you have ideas it could be very creative too.

    [Reply]

    Tim Reply:

    @All,
    Perhaps this argument reflects the difference between, ‘taking’ pictures and ‘making’ pictures.

    [Reply]

    CAMERON Reply:

    @Tim,

    COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER, LIGHT IS THE KEY TO EVERYTHING.

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 2:58 pm
  13. Reinfried Marass wrote:

    Wow … equipment kings at work.
    How many people are involved to catch the lil scared cells ? :-)
    I tried to count, but drifted.
    A great show for the client.

    However, video is a great. Music too.

    Cheers, Reini

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 7:36 pm
  14. Christine Blackburne wrote:

    Thanks for showing this! I love it when still life gets featured. Less glam, but it’s often more like a traditional art. Painterly and more individual in the creation. Sure, I’m a little bias, but from us out there who are, thanks!

    [Reply]

    Posted 12 Aug 2009 at 9:44 pm
  15. Chris Schultz wrote:

    Although this making of video is pretty cool for a still life, wouldn’t it be even more cool to see this for Vogue or Vanity Fair? Someone with well-placed connections should drop the hint!

    [Reply]

    Reinfried Marass Reply:

    @Chris Schultz,
    some reps have making of videos on their blogs as well. I have seen some just yesterday. It’s ‘en vogue’ :-)
    I’ll try to locate the videos again and post the links.

    In the meantime you can enjoy Peter Beards 09 Pirelli Calendar shooting here http://www.pirellical.com/thecal/video_player.html (full length)

    Although I guess most have seen it already. But worth a 2nd look, imho.

    My favorite quote out of the movie: “Shit … NO film” :-)

    Cheers, Reini

    [Reply]

    Reinfried Marass Reply:

    here’s Vanity Fair – http://www.vanityfair.com/video

    the first video shows Annie L. at work

    you will have to pass the ’sponsor message’ …

    cheers, Reini

    [Reply]

    Posted 13 Aug 2009 at 1:14 am
  16. photography wrote:

    Thanks for your blog.

    [Reply]

    Posted 13 Aug 2009 at 3:49 am
  17. scott Rex Ely wrote:

    The overhead necessary for this business, in this case, ONE photograph, is obscene.

    [Reply]

    Posted 13 Aug 2009 at 7:04 am
  18. trish wrote:

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    [Reply]

    Posted 13 Aug 2009 at 8:22 am
  19. Andy wrote:

    I almost think it would be easier to do a 3d render since they did so much post on them.

    [Reply]

    Allen Lee Taylor Reply:

    @Andy,

    Exactly!

    [Reply]

    Posted 13 Aug 2009 at 9:28 am
  20. Alleh Photography wrote:

    Pretty cool. I really liked when the went out the window and landed at the front door of the building with Macworld inside. That was a pretty creative idea and worked perfectly in still frame.

    [Reply]

    Posted 13 Aug 2009 at 12:17 pm
  21. Isaac Hernandez wrote:

    Still life requires a special talent. Whether you like the result or not, Peter Belanger delivered what the client asked for, and more, giving them a great video that gave Macworld and Peter much exposure; and many people, like us, are talking about it.

    This is the kind of value added service that we professional photographers can offer, instead of complaining about whether the photo is boring or not, or whether it took too much “overhead” for just one photograph. If the photo is too expensive, we complain. If the photo is too cheap, as in the Time $30 cover shot, we complain.

    As Monty Python would say, “Get on with it!” Stop complaining and create value for your client.

    [Reply]

    Posted 19 Aug 2009 at 1:37 am

Trackbacks & Pingbacks 2

  1. From Magtastic Blogsplosion | Down to a T on 13 Aug 2009 at 6:48 pm

    [...] good, they’re cracking. I really hope the crop circle one was done for real. Bonus link: how a MacWorld cover comes together. Would love to have seen the process for some of these [...]

  2. From MacWorld Cover Shoot – Peter Belanger on 15 Sep 2009 at 12:37 pm

    [...] and then pick our favorite.” Sounds like fun, doesn’t it. – Post from the blog “A Photo Editor” http://www.vimeo.com/5989754 swfobject.embedSWF("http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf", [...]

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