WWD article on photographers : The Ad Game

[kimair]

i had no idea photographers made so much for campaigns...

Forget finance, medicine, the law or technology. If you want to make big bucks in a short time these days, become a fashion photographer.

Top photographers can earn more than $100,000 a day shooting ad campaigns for major fashion and beauty brands — a process that typically takes three to five days. As for their rates, there are many details to take into account — such as, what will the usage be? Will the ads run nationally or internationally? For ad campaigns, photographers also tend to use three to five full-time assistants and a digital tech, plus a small army of freelancers if they can. And even the most prestigious photographers will take a cut in pay to do a high-profile campaign or a favor for a friend. Taking all of that into account, up-and-coming photographers tend to earn about $25,000 to $50,000 per day for a fashion ad campaign, while more seasoned ones make between $75,000 to $100,000 a day, and major names can make more than $100,000 a day.

WWD surveyed fall ad campaigns to find out which photographers shot what ad. Of course, we're talking about fashion — and styles could change next season, if they haven't already. After all, most brands are shooting their spring campaigns now. Here, a list of the fall campaigns:

Craig McDean:
Christian Dior
Calvin Klein Collection
Gucci
Blumarine
Anna Molinari
MaxMara
Emporio Armani
Oscar de la Renta
Prada Sport

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin:
YSL
Chloé
Stella McCartney
Givenchy
Jean Paul Gaultier
Ungaro
Balmain
Lanvin Men

Steven Meisel:
Prada
Lanvin
Mulberry
Pringle of Scotland
Dsquared
Belstaff
Alberta Ferretti

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott:
Giorgio Armani
Armani Jeans
Louis Vuitton, with Scarlett Johansson
Roberto Cavalli
Valentino
Miu Miu

Mario Testino:
Burberry
Michael Kors
St. John
Versace
Donna Karan
Ferré
Two Hugo Boss campaigns
Ferragamo


Peter Lindbergh:
David Yurman
Hermès
Moschino
Calvin Klein Underwear
Club Monaco
Hugo Boss

Mikael Jansson:
Tod's
Nicole Farhi
Pepe Jeans, with Sienna Miller
Gap Europe
Calvin Klein White Label
H&M

David Sims:
Balenciaga
Tse
Benetton
Marc O'Polo
Calvin Klein Jeans

Mario Sorrenti:
Carolina Herrera
Jill Stuart
Longchamp
Malo
Aquascutum
Ellen von Unwerth:
Badgley Mischka
Baccarat
Bebe
Target/Erin Featherston
Miss Sixty

Patrick Demarchelier:
Banana Republic
Ann Taylor
Seven Jeans
New York & Company
BCBG
Ralph Lauren Black Label

Dewey Nicks:
Tommy Hilfiger
Roxy
MaxMara Looks
Tom Tailor

Willy Vanderperre:
Jil Sander
Bally
Et Vous
Givenchy Men

Tom Munro:
Brooks Brothers
Bebe Sport
Converse
Neiman Marcus Art of Fashion

Annie Leibovitz:
Gap
Bottega Veneta
Louis Vuitton
Nina Ricci

Camilla Akrans:
Missoni
Eres

Terry Tsiolis:
Alessandro Dell'Acqua
Ballantyne
Missoni Sport

Steven Klein:
Dolce & Gabbana
Akris
Pinko

Bruce Weber:
Celine
Polo Ralph Lauren

Karl Lagerfeld:
Chanel
Fendi

Michael Thompson:
Tumi, with Shalom Harlow

Philip-Lorca diCorcia:
Anne Klein

Greg Lotus:
Escada

Juergen Teller:
Marc Jacobs

 

[Bellissima]

Thank You for the Article

I don't think a lot of people realize just the extent that Fashion holds in terms of encompassing such enormous sums of money and monetary value.
Its such a huge and vast business.....
and to keep its wheels rolling (thus trying to gather momentum and profit for the designers, lines, brands, agencies, etc) a lot of time, analysis, and mostly money is put into it that tries to yield -and in actuality does yield- a huge profit and worth into the business, and the people involved in it themselves.

Its millions and millions of dollars in circulation.
For the guarantee of quality product and a successful campaign (through a certain fashion photographer and their style), why wouldn't a designer or a fashion house be willing to pay $100,000 a day for shooting their campaign if they are already aware that if all the elements of creating that image come together correctly with the photographer; that they themselves will increase their profit and bring in large amounts of money.

I think I once heard somewhere that in popular culture after the p*rn industry (in terms of profits) Fashion comes close second.

Understandable as I like to think,
since both feed off of images and perceptive projection of a created manufactured reality.

 

[Bellissima]

On a lighter note.....
Karl obviously doesnt have the problem of having to pay umm $100,000 a day

 

[softgrey]

it's not Karl's money...he doesn't own chanel......
and if HE is shooting- you better believe HE is getting paid $$$...


somebody always has to pay...

 

[softgrey]

i had no idea photographers made so much for campaigns...

pretty disgusting isn't it...


...


i remember when i first found out i was actually sick to my stomach...

there are families of four that have to exist for a year on what some of these people make for ONE DAY of work...
and when i told people outside the industry- they simply refused to believe me because it was beyond their comprehension..

it's truly shocking...


the photographers rate is so far beyond that of anyone else in the industry...
i think you could add the fees of everyone else combined and it would be the equivalent of the photog's fee...

of course this is not every photographer...
as you can see above....
only about 10-15 photogs do pretty much all the major ad campaigns...
which makes it even harder for everyone else..
if these guys have all the jobs...
then there isn't enough work for all the other photogs....

 

[kimair]

yea...that's crazy...
i bet karl gets paid sh*tloads of money between being the designer and photographer for all of his lines...

of course this is not every photographer...
as you can see above....
only about 10-15 photogs do pretty much all the major ad campaigns...
which makes it even harder for everyone else..
if these guys have all the jobs...
then there isn't enough work for all the other photogs....

do alot of photographers start as assistants for bigger names, then go out on their own?
i know that's true of alexi lubomirski...

 

[flyingace]

It's 10-15 photographers, not every fashion photographer, were talking about the best. I guess that in every job there is always someone who earns that much. So it's not that terrible after all.

 

[Bellissima]

I think most everyone in the business who is a photographer was at some point or another an assistant.....to someone.
Or at least were under an apprenticeship of some sorts.

For example- Tom Munro was Meisels assistant as some point.

Most photographers in general state that the hands-on-assistant experience really is the best schooling and instruction that one can get out of the industry since you get a first hand-account. And truthfully it can also get you an 'IN' with more people involved in the industry in terms of networking.

Major photographers though have sooo many assistants- and I think that expect for just a select few assistants the others get switched around, replaced, and whatnot constantly.

 

[Bellissima]

I dont think there is anyone like Lagerfeld

 

[BerlinRocks]

It's 10-15 photographers, not every fashion photographer, were talking about the best. I guess that in every job there is always someone who earns that much. So it's not that terrible after all.

yeah but we're talking about photog' shooting major campains...
so these photog' do the major campains...
and every campains that would be printed in mags...
that's what count, i think...

oh and i never thought there's something similar somewhere else... a very good argument... nor it is constructed!

and just count how many Meisel is earning in one month....
let's say 2-3days to shoot a campain...
he's doing 7 campains...
which makes....
tadada
approx. 1.750.000$ right?????


i'm planning to study photo and get Inez&Vinoodh's asst. asap, don't you???... but still =

 

[softgrey]

yea...that's crazy...
i bet karl gets paid sh*tloads of money between being the designer and photographer for all of his lines...



do alot of photographers start as assistants for bigger names, then go out on their own?
i know that's true of alexi lubomirski...

ues and now...
i don't think mer and markus ever did
but michael thompson did
sorrenti didn't
i don't think simms did...
i think craig did

so it's not really to do with that ...
even though you would think it is...

same with stylists...
katie mossman is doing really well right now- but i don't think she ever assisted anyone...
and then lori goldstien has had scores of assistant and i don't think hardly any of them went on to style...
they became casting agents ro market editors or started doing something else...

assisting will get people to notice you though...
and maybe you have more of a chance of people looking at your work...
but it is no guarantee of anything....

i know some assistants who go on to become photo agents..

being a good assistant does NOT make you a good photographer...

 

[Bellissima]

Agree with softgrey.

Being a good assistant doesn't make you a good photographer by any standard....
But being an assistant
-especially to some of the major influential photographers-
does get you first hand experience and account which cant be acquired anywhere else,
as well as getting you acquainted and more familiar on how the business functions and works.

Assisting in general within the spectrum of fashion gets you "in's" into the whole milieu in one way or another, and might even inspire you to pursue something else but still within the business.

But dont you think that even the photographers who didnt assist other famous photographers,
never were assistants to anyone....?

 

[Bellissima]

Also there is quite a handful of photographers who were models at some point and then decided to be on the other side of the camera. I find it interesting at times, since the expirience of have had posed infront of the camera gave them a intriguing outlook on how to take photographers while they were behind it.

Argh, sidelined

 

[BetteT]

I know that Vogue pays the top shooters fees like that for editorials. And .... they still get paid even when the editorial gets nixed after the shoot by Ms. Wintour .... which happens frequently, according to my source.

 

[Meg]

I would argue that perhaps being a good assistant makes you a good photographer but being a good photographer doesn't mean you have the right eye. I say this only because what was that article? that talked about i believe sorrenti or testino (one of the mario's ) sitting in a chair and getting his assistants to move all the equipment around and take the pictures while he decided what was good and what isn't. So maybe being a 'good photographer' in terms of fashion advertising has less to do with the ability to take a picture and more to do with understanding the brand and what makes a good fashion advertisement....

 

[Ferdinanda]

I know that Vogue pays the top shooters fees like that for editorials. And .... they still get paid even when the editorial gets nixed after the shoot by Ms. Wintour .... which happens frequently, according to my source.

Wow. Even the ones that get nixed? How much money do you think Condé Nast spends on financing Vogue USA alone...

 

[kissmesweet]

i had no idea photographers made so much for campaigns...

Me neither. That's more than anyone else in the industry...

 

[ChrissyM]

Wow. Even the ones that get nixed? How much money do you think Condé Nast spends on financing Vogue USA alone...

makes sense doesn't it...?
vogue hires the person to take the photos..
they are paying them for their work, whether it gets published or not...

i wonder if they get less money if the images don't run? (when it comes to editorials that is)

that really is such an astronomical amount of money for the photographers to make though

 

[Ferdinanda]

That's what I meant...do they get paid the same even if the image doesn't make it?

I'd say, yes. And the amount is still...

Dunno about you but I'm gonna go fiddle and practice my photo taking skills.

 

[seahorseinstripe]

ans THAT'S WHY all the high end designers items are THAT expensive.
not to mention the money they pay for all the MODELS and the RUNWAY!

so basically, WE buyers are the one who's paying them ....

oh, it just made my stomach sick to imagine that i work sooo hard to afford them and the money goes just like that