Home > Culture > Mentor Showcase > The 2007 Best-of Series: Len Rubenstein
The 2007 'Best Of' Series
We have now produced an annual Best Of issue of the ASMP Bulletin for the third year in a row. As before, we selected twenty projects for our issue — but this year, we had nearly 200 excellent submissions! It was a tough decision, and we thank all those who submitted their work. We hope you will enjoy reading about these projects.
Len Rubenstein, North Scituate, MA
Web site: www.lenrubenstein.com
Project: Environmental portraits of HHG International staffing firm clients for corporate annual report
Len Rubenstein has the right skills as an annual report photographer. He’s a problem solver and he knows how to be spontaneous. When rain forced a location change ten minutes before his shoot, panic turned to inspiration in the form of a Safeway supermarket. During a 17-day trip that took him non-stop from Boston to Australia, California, Arizona, London, Brussels, Boston, Atlanta and back to Boston, Rubenstein worked on the run to capture a special something from each of the real people who were his client’s clients.
All images © Len Rubenstein
ASMP: How long have you been in business?
21 years.
ASMP: How long have you been an ASMP member?
21 years.
ASMP: What are your photographic specialties?
People on location.
ASMP: Please describe the processes and techniques central to the making of this work.
I had to preconceive the environments, and coordinate all locations and scenarios as we traveled. I was working for a super designer in Chicago that had specific requests and sent a pretty tight layout as a guide. Some clients weren’t selected till we were on the road, making spontaneity crucial. We had to secure locations and permits on the run. Multiple subjects had tight shooting schedules, leaving little time for weather or logistic delays.
ASMP: What do you consider your most valuable piece of equipment?
Light! The sun the clouds or Profoto & Norman portable strobes.
ASMP: What is unique about your style/approach or what sets you and your work apart from other photographers?
Finding something to work with when little if anything exists. Example: rain forced the Safeway Food shot inside ten minutes before we were to shoot. Panic preceded a newfound superior image.
ASMP: How do you keep you energy and enthusiasm up on long road trips? Any travel tips for staying well and /or focused on the project?
Before leaving, I look at other photographer’s work that motivates me to push and exceed my client’s expectations and mine. I have a large collection of great photographers’ work on people location annual reports. On the road, plan some down-time away from photography altogether. No camera, no work, just some R & R. When you know the images are special, the energy is electric.
ASMP: Did you handle the logistics for travel and scheduling with models on this project? If so, was there a strategy that you found effective for pulling this together in such a tight time frame?
All subjects were the clients of HHG. I either spoke directly with them or their contacts. I insist that I have direct contact with the people being shot. This allows me to inquire some input from them and have them become involved in the process. They sometimes have the connections to pull off both locations and certain scenarios that would otherwise be impossible for people who work for them to achieve. If they are powerful people, they sometimes have powerful ideas.
ASMP: How is it different using real people as opposed to models on photo shoots? How is using real people better? How is it worse?
I just connect with real people better. I’d rather have that special something, be it clothes, a gesture or the personality that makes the shoot special, i.e.: the man from Belgium: Rainy, cold, winter looking location and here comes a Mr. Bean look-alike in a black coat with gold buttons, black gloves, black turned out shoes, black umbrella, black Elvis Costello glasses. Unbelievable. I thought I died and went to Heaven. I knew immediately I had something special. No chance I could get that from a model.
ASMP: What strategies do you use to get beyond a predictable pose with your subjects?
WATCH them. A great German photographer, Ulrich Mach, once told me, “You don’t take people’s pictures, they give them to you.”
ASMP: How much contact did you have with your subjects before the shoot? Did you provide them with comps or give other information about what you were trying to achieve? Did you discuss wardrobe or background/location preferences with your subjects beforehand?
As I said before, I contact all the subjects before I start. I explain what the art director or I’m looking for. She had some very specific ideas and I tried to fill those needs wherever possible. We spoke whenever possible through e-mail or the phone. Usually a shoot like this takes on its own life after the first image is finished. It usually sets the tone for the images that follow. You need to be flexible so that any preconceived thoughts you have don’t get in the way of what you find once you arrive.
ASMP: Typically, how much do you know about a location and/or the subject before you arrive in the city? How much time did you have to scout before the shoot time? What is normal/typical for you?
Thank god for the Internet. I will research as much as I can both about the client, his or her company, and the location before I leave. I will then travel and arrive with enough time, at least one day early, to scout and set up any location requirements before the shoot.
ASMP: How do you handle model releases in foreign countries / foreign languages?
If they are in my shots, I will have them sign a release. I don’t use foreign releases.
ASMP: Did you have any issues with equipment while in transit or in foreign locations? If so, how did you resolve them?
Yes! Don’t send equipment through England as excess baggage. They over-charge and couldn’t care less. Other than that, no issues.
ASMP: What influences your method of lighting your subjects?
I will try and use as much available light as possible. I carry portable strobes and the usual three to four cases of backup. I have been shooting multiple light source images forever, and I enjoy trying to mix and match, but inevitably less is better. Great natural light with a single reflector or strobe, and I’m set.
ASMP: What sort of backup equipment/system do you use for your digital files while traveling?
We carry multiple backup drives.
ASMP: Did you deliver work samples to the client as you were traveling? If so, please describe the workflow and delivery methods.
After each shoot I selected a number of images and made quick color-corrected JPEG files. I then e-mailed them to the art director in Chicago.
ASMP: What was the timeline between the end of your shoot and the A/R production process? Was the process a smooth one and, if not, did you do anything to address or resolve issues?
Within one week of returning, all JPEG and TIFF files were sent to Chicago for the art director’s approval. The art director and client then selected final images, and my assistant and Photoshop guru Jay made final files.
ASMP: How much input/influence do you have on the final image selection for an A/R? Please describe this process.
I usually select five to ten images for client review. I will tag the image that I feel most strongly about. When working with great design firms, as was the case here, they will push the client to select the images I feel strongest about.
