Los Angeles Magazine
Design Director: Steven Banks
Photo Director: Amy Feitelberg
Photographer: Michael Rodriguez
Heidi: Best of covers/thematic are always a great challenge to keep things fresh. How did this smart concept develop?
Michael: Steve Banks, the design director at LA Mag, came to me with the concept. Just like the previous cover I did for them, he came to me with a clear idea. My job is to realize it, make it dynamic.
What sort of editorial direction did you get to develop the the tools?
Steve knew most of the tools he wanted on the knife, but we continued to throw around more ideas for tools specifically, how the form of each tool would parody the likeness of the referenced item. There were specific topics in the issue that needed to be represented. Then, we looked at existing tools that get crammed into these pocket knives and picked the best fit. The palm tree bottle opener took the most time to make a quick read. It started off much more detailed and had a more organic silhouette. It took quite a few drafts to make it simple enough to read.
How many knives to did you research/buy or did you simply know the swiss army knife being such an iconic classic was the right choice?
I had a couple on hand to study. We did a bit of online research but, that was mostly for mechanics and tool details. The overall shape of these knives haven’t changed all that much over the years. Most of the research on the casing was for texture and material it would be made from. We had many options but, we ended with classic red plastic.
Did you do your own post?
Yup, I do all of my post and CG.
What was the biggest technical challenge for this project?
Figuring out how much detail to put into it without it looking messy. At one point, the tool looked pretty grimy and used. I like to put in more detail rather than not enough. Then, you can work back some of the details to a place that everybody is happy with.
How did you get so adept at post/CGI? Did it come naturally for you?
I learned the basics of retouching from my old business partner back in the day. When I took over the retouching duties, it started off with simple compositing. Over the years, it just developed in complexity as ideas grew and greater challenges came. At some point, I felt like I hit a wall with that general direction and started to learn how to create things in a CG environment. It started with small accents to my photography and gradually, I felt more confident in my ability. I started making environments that there either wasn’t the budget to have them made or was simply impossible to shoot. Then, my approach flipped and CG was the majority of image creation and photography became the accent. Now, things are balancing between the two along with the inclusion of video and animation.
Tell me about your entire process; do you think about the image first and then go into an execution thought process?
If it’s for a job, I consider the best approach for the idea. Will it be served better in a more illustrative approach or all photographed along with compositing? (nobody asks me to do anything all in camera, which I like). The general approach to CG is, if you can capture what you want, the way you want it in camera, that’s the way to go. If not, you identify the reason and find a solution using other avenues. Then, that becomes part of the process for that image. I think it’s important to be adaptable, especially when you’re working under tight schedules. The image is planned out in advance. Then, I capture and/or create the elements, lit properly to create a seamless composite. There’s usually some deviation and improvising along the way but, the general approach is discussed and agreed upon prior to any major work being done.
How do you feel these skills make you a better photographer?
Sometimes, there are things that are totally out of your control that just ruin a shot. There was this job I had where between the location being scouted and approved by the client and us arriving on shoot day, the location had been drastically changed. All of the elements of the location that led us to choose it for the image were gone. There wasn’t any time fix for a fix. I proposed that I create a new background where I could match the angle and lighting while improving on the look of the location that we had originally been expecting. It was an awful situation, but everyone walked away happy. Since then, I’ve been able to roll with most every problem thrown at me. That’s not a “fix it in post” mentality necessarily; that’s an unfortunate perspective to have towards image making. These skills help the photography overcome whatever challenges may arise throughout the job.
