The directors (RED)



What do you get when you mix a rock star, a Kennedy family member, and Fortune 500 powerhouses like Starbucks (No. 261), Gap (No. 178), and Apple (No. 71)? An organization dedicated to fighting AIDS in Africa. (RED) licenses its logo on everything from lattes to laptops. In turn, the companies give part of the profits directly to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

Clockwise from left: Susan Smith Ellis, CEO, (RED); Bobby Shriver, co-founder, (RED); Tom Freston, principal, Firefly3; Juliet Flint, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; Bono, U2 lead singer and co-founder, (RED)

source: money.cnn


chairman of the boards: ben baker
I was leafing through the new edition of Fortune magazine the other day, the annual Fortune 500 issue to be specific. Amongst all the facts, figures, graphs and charts I was excited to see a massive photo spread with the directors of some of America’s largest companies from my old mucker Ben Baker.

Holy shit this is a major feature (not that Ben isn’t a regular major feature playa). Not just in terms of subject but concept and logistics. Running the math quick this looks like a six figure + production for 12 yes 12 pages. Man the excess baggage bill alone looks like it is the equivalent of the GDP of a well to do First World Nation. !!!!! Great to see that people are still spending the big dollar on producing original content.

So having access to the man himself I thought why not delve in for a little behind the scenes. Mr Baker was willing and able and supplied us with lots of tasty titbits as you will see below.



Bono (L) Baker (R)


WTJ: So Ben how did this project come about ?

BB: This Project was green lit just before the collapse of the market last year, we thought it would never happen but Director of Photography Greg Pond and Managing Editor Andy Serwer decided to press on.

The shoots were split up between photo editors Nancy Jo Johnson and Armin Harris. The magazine made it very clear to possible Boards that the pictures had to be very ambitious, there were companies that wanted to be photographed but couldn’t commit to the scale so Fortune decided not to include them… Brave…

The scheduling was also very difficult as the boards only come together a few times a year and normally have their schedules set, so to make a big picture happen took a lot of work. Also the pressure and stress that a company has when we photograph one CEO is big… So imagine them giving us the whole board….

WTJ: So who came up with concepts ?

BB: This project spent a lot of time at Fortune before we got going, mostly Photography Director Greg Pond and Photo Editors Nancy Jo Johnson and Armin Harris….this project was also a big effort working with PR departments at the companies.. The magazine made it clear that they had to agree to a big idea out of the board room or not be part of it.. Fortune did say no to one very big company that couldn’t commit… That’s brave these days….

BB: This was a very long process.. To get them to agree was complicated, many, many layers of PR. It was postponed once as a board member had a broken leg the next chance was 3 months away. We spent 1/2 day pre lighting as we shot at 8am….was over in 30 – 45 mins…. Gwen Whitkin designed the table and walls… And did a great job…. It was just meant to be a moment of them having a lunch together, as simple as that.

WTJ: Did they eat the food and drink the drinks ?

BB: If you were getting free Maccas (that’s Australian for McDonalds) wouldn’t you eat all you can…. I didn’t mention that I photographed the super size me guy!..

I don’t think they did to be true.. But we had to shoot in a certain room because the special prep kitchen was right there… If you look close they really wanted the healthy menu up front….apples etc… If you agree to put their product in the shot most companies are happy, then you can work on getting the energy elsewhere..

BB: You can imagine the PR work to get a rock star’s schedule in line with the whole board, and not wanting it all about Bono, but that is the hook.. We did a shot with a red carpet and more… This was chosen as it fit the pace of the spread and works.



WTJ: This one looks like the least complicated of the shoots in term of concept. True or false ?

BB: True, sort of.. We did a red carpet shot.. Which took a long time to convince Bono..and works well, but the simple shot of them closer helped the pacing of the series and is more personal considering what RED is all about. We shot them before they went to dinner in NYC and made sure plenty of drinks were available.


Twitter - San Francisco

BB: Either the coolest new way of communicating or the most overhyped idea in a long time… We had the challenge of them being the youngest and coolest in the bunch.. But that exactly what they didn’t want to be perceived as.. We shot in a bar, walking shots, but this in the local park had the best feel…again, in balance with the whole project.

WTJ: Does Ben Baker Twitter ?

BB: Yeah right.. I don’t even know how to make a smiley face on cell phone….

Seriously… Its either the greatest feat of modern mankind or the most overhyped waste of time… I would prefer to call my mum and hear her voice….but that’s just me.


FED EX – DC

BB: I was just back from Australia and had to shoot this in 3 days… We wanted them in a cargo plane but that was impossible, we only had a few minutes in DC, so we managed to get a set builder to make these in 2 days… Jesse Kauffman rocked it… And then the challenge is for people to believe these are really 6ft tall… Reasons why we shot them side on and left the unfinished set to be seen.

WTJ: Any of the subjects have any hesitations climbing up on the letters ?

BB: Surprisingly not…. As long as you get the leader of the group (usually CEO) to be happy the rest usually get on board… So I got him on side right away, we had ladders and helpers… Doesn’t hurt that its the logo done very well.

And as much as the set is huge we try to keep it very low key as they arrive… And talk about something they are into.. (never business) The CEO is part owner of the Redskins, so we joked about football…..get the mind off the concerns of sitting on a giant F….


FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD. - DC

BB: This was the first in the series way back in November, so it was important to set the tone… We needed the grand nature of the room and the importance of the Board. I asked Fed Chief Bernanke if he had seen the Avedon show at the Corcoran… He just laughed.. I think he was in the middle of the Bear Sterns collapse that week…. I guess the gallery was not on the list!


COSTCO – Seattle

BB: As a New Yorker I had no idea what to expect… Wow.. We knew the picture had to big and everything in it had to be sold there ( except the cherry picker). Very cool that Bill Gates senior is there in the front… America loves big!

WTJ: Did u use extras to stand in when setting the shot ? How many variations did you do on this one ?

BB: We did get stand ins that worked at the store… And great help from the manager.. You have to remember that when its the CEO and board of directors, staff move pretty fast!



We did a variation on Costco that I like but didn’t make the cut.. Its them sitting around a table that is sold in the store, with shoppers going about their business…we always did a single page variation just in case the layout and page count had to change


ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND - San Francisco

BB: Such a pleasant picture, a cool day at the beach.. 35 people in 30 minutes, on rocks, threatening rain, surf pounding, eagles flying, tide up, page break, smiles, color combos, then maybe a vertical try.. And then on to location number 2! Good thing I love my job…

WTJ: Were you shitting it the sun was going to come out ? Coulda fucked you ?

BB: Right on that one… Actually it was the most stressful shoot of the lot… It was forecast to rain for just that afternoon and not for 40 days before or after, but I never trust the reports..

And we had a very nervous PR team from EDF asking where the rain back up was? I didn’t really have one, so we built (at great expense) a shot in a nearby wooded area that was covered by tarps in case all hell broke loose.. Luckily it rained before, then after a little bit. The sun would have been over my shoulder, not the worst…I did have a row of bare heads in case of nasty shadows.. It would take 3 full trucks to light that area well…we had a budget, but that kind…

WTJ: You are always so smartly dressed on these shoots !!!!! Do you always wear a suit ?

BB: Yes, quite often…. I shoot lots of power types and if a suit gives my subject and me more respect, maybe 5 more minutes to shoot and the chance to get on the private chopper why not? Its amazing how may times my subjects see me in a suit, then tell me just how bad most photographers dress…. Its not a skateboard competition in Murdoch’s office, so why dress like it is? Its all about getting the picture right? Doesn’t have to just be for a wedding or funeral…

WTJ: So can you tell me how much was your excess baggage was with all this kit and your wardrobe ?

BB: Not that bad actually… Here’s the tip – join ASMP and buy American Airlines…. They are the only airline offering a media rate for photographers at $50 a bag…the rest are about $125…. Also print a letter from the mag, bring your ASMP card, plus the website rules from AA as most check in staff don’t know this yet….. You should be good…

WTJ: There were obviously a lot of people you needed to make happy. Were you happy with the final layout ?

BB: YES …..I think if every photographer edited and art directed the magazine it would always look very different.

We may work on our own but its a team sport……….There is so much to consider that goes on in magazine land that we are so unaware of…. There are a couple of images I would probably prefer in there.. But isn’t there always…….. I can’t ask much more from the fortune team…. Damn good, smart editors working their buts off in really bad days in publishing….its Walker Evans land.

All photographs and behind the scenes footage © Ben Baker

source: whatsthejackanory