That’s what would hurt me now if I still wanted to do this work. Today the young art directors want to have the control – they don’t want a photographer who has a relationship with the talent. That’s the last thing they want. For me, the relationships with the talent that I developed were far more important than the relationships with the clients because clients come and go – but the talent are going to be around for a while.

I realized that I was bidding jobs that I wasn’t getting, and I said to myself – this is getting old! I really didn’t enjoy it anymore and there’s people out there that are a lot hungrier than I was by that time.

via A rambling conversation with Greg Gorman | Le Journal de la Photographie.

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2 Comments

  1. Interesting that he started out by doing the headshots for $35/day. Even back then that can’t have been much money, making him, by some people’s reasoning, just another young photographer ruining the market at one point, too.

    • And this, “I was asked by a major wine shop I knew in St. Helena called Acme Fine Wines if I was interested in shooting a wine label. Dave Phinney, a very talented young wine maker, had asked Acme if they knew anyone who might be able to shoot a wine label for him and they suggested me. He didn’t think he could afford me – but Acme told them ’You might be surprised – maybe he’d work for wine!’”

      I’m sure some bitter and insecure photographer is cringing. Chasing the brass ring never works out. Make friends. Enjoy life. That’s success.


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