Big UP to Wired for commissioning Nick Waplington for a photo essay in the April issue entitled: Unlikely Places Where Wired Pioneers Had Their Eureka ! Moments.
Photo © Nick WaplingtonNETFLIX, 1997
Reed Hastings
Founder and CEO of Netflix
Canyon Video (above)
La Honda
California
"I had a big late fee for Apollo 13. It was six weeks late, and I owed the video store $40. I had misplaced the cassette. It was all my fault. I didn't want to tell my wife about it. And I said to myself, 'I'm going to compromise the integrity of my marriage over a late fee' ... I started thinking, 'How come movie rentals don't work like a health club, where, whether you use it a lot or a little, you get the same charge?"
There are 8 pictures in the portfolio and all are available online. Its a great photo driven essay and concept. Waplington is certainly an interesting choice for an assignment like this. One rarely (if ever ?) see's his name on editorial work but this seems to make sense; no big theatrics, lighting rigs or high concept, in fact its rather straightforward and honest especially for a glossy tech publication like Wired. Then again its kind of fascinating how some of the great ideas of our time have come about in some of the most ordinarily mundane nondescript locals. The imagery fits and I cannot help but wonder will the average Wired reader appreciate the subtle touch of the photographer but maybe thats the draw. The rest of the issue is a little photo light so this is certainly the main feature. It wouldn't surprise me if this picks up some awards next year its the kind of thing juries will love.
Noted for his conceptual approach to photography, Waplingtons ground breaking books 'The Wedding' and 'Living Room' are two of my all time favorites.
Heres to you Wired and Nick Waplington !
3 comments:
I think Fortune Magazine did this same concept a decade ago. The opener was a great shot of Michael Dells's dorm room at UT. Oh, I think and Tim Archibald revisited the idea for Business 2.0 last year. Though I really like Nick's work.
i went to borders the other night, looking to update my mental list of "magazines that use photography well". i saw that Wired story, and my jaw dropped; very impressive images. and for the record, my mental list of good magazines totals two -- wired and fast company. let's start of list of twenty best magazines, if there are that many.
The homeless story in NY Mag last week is the best thing I have seen in ages. Different concepts I realize but it made me want to go shoot. What more can you ask? I did spend time admiring this story though.
Post a Comment