Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/08
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The chicken or the egg comment is a bit off base, especially when directed
at catalog photography.
The shots are (when not cheap down and dirty) drawn on a layout, shot on
Polaroid, approved by the Art Director, often faxed to the client then shot.
There is a lot of bad Art Direction out there, but they are the client. If
you want to call it a craft I wouldn't argue.
It is seldom art, more often than not it is problem solving. I can't tell
you the times we will have set up a creative shot only to have a (usually
young and inexperienced)AD meddle with it, not so much to help it
creatively, but to justify his existence to the client.("the photog wanted
real moody lighting but I saved our ass")That's the job I save my creativity
for my Fine Art business. 90% of commercial is politics, occasionally an AD
will say "use your best judgment" but these are only the rare people who are
secure. These guys do get fired every other week. Very little romance here.