persona

For something like 15 years, I subscribed to a magazine called Photo District News (later, no doubt recognizing that attention spans were becoming ever shorter, acronymed to PDN) that covers the world of commercial photography. Although I've never actually aspired to be a commercial photographer, I found the magazine offered an intriguing mix of business, product developments, technique and art.

A few years ago, they ran a story about an emerging trend of high-profile commercial photographers doing commissioned portraits for affluent individuals. The article was illustrated with a number of examples, including the photo below by the acclaimed portrait photographer Marc Hauser. It's described in the caption as being of "Chicago stockbroker Phillip Sylvestor and his girlfriend at home."

I typically discarded PDNs after reading, but before throwing away this issue, I felt compelled to tear out the picture of Mr. Sylvestor and his girlfriend. It has since remained on my bedside table, under an ever-changing pile of to-be-read books, where it has suffered a fair amount of wrinkling and assorted other indignities.

© Marc Hauser

According to the article, Mr. Hauser charges between $2,500 and $10,000 for these portrait sessions. And again according to the photo caption, "Hauser's environmental portraits make statements." 

Ya think?