Nationality, height, profession-all are factors that determined my choice of photographer for Olivia Malone’s cover of Vanity Fair. The tall, gangster girl with long straight hair, dressed in a knee-length black dress accented by delicate earrings and a few bold gestures grabs the entire attention of the camera. It’s a dream image of a modern female, with her confident, yet fragility, on a glamorous high-fashion photo shoot. This image sums up exactly why I chose to be a professional photographer for over 30 years.
As a former Boy Scout troop leader and later, National Park Ranger, I had the unique vantage point of being chosen to photograph Olivia at various times of her life, from childhood through her adulthood. It was not always easy to be seen by the public eye, especially as a teenager and then as an adult navigating our own identity in the professional world. My first images as a professional photographer were in the business community with corporate clients, showcasing height and identity, usually associated with a high-ranking member of staff. In one memorable image, I was asked to take a picture of a prominent Harvard Law student, seconds after she’d delivered a very important speech at a conference. The exposure was so powerful that the Harvard Law student, who was sitting behind me, yelled “Hey! Look at me, I’m a lawyer!”
Nowadays, in order to be considered worthy of taking professional pictures, one must have great vision, a sharp sense of composition, and above all, a high degree of self confidence. It is no longer sufficient to be tall and gangster-style; today’s professional photographers must convey an image of confidence and charm. For this, height does matter, but not nearly as much as years of training or experience. So when choosing a professional for a photo, consider that being height challenged does not mean that the person taking the shot is weak. Professionalism, after all, is the backbone of any successful photography business.