It’s been a while since I updated this blog, especially the 60 minutes images. It’s been a while because, well it’s been a while for me to actually photograph everyone. As of now I have photographed just about all the correspondences. With only Katie Couric (although she is no longer at 60 min) to go. I should have this done in June. That would make it just about a year from when I first photographed Bob Simon. It has been a bit on the laborious side of things, not to mention expensive. Since up to now I had only been able to photograph one person at a time. However that all changed a couple of weeks ago when I went in to photograph Steve Kroft. I had been talking with his assistant Allie for what seemed like forever when suddenly I got the approval to photograph him. My usual assistants were not available and that was a bummer. However I was so lucky to find Peter through a friend named Dana. Peter was made to work like crazy that day but he also got a lesson in being ready that you don’t often get. As I’m photographing Steve, Jeff Fager walks in and in a pissed off kind of voice asks what’s going on? turns out he was only joking. It also turns out he is the Chairman of CBS News and the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes. This was the guy I wanted to make friends with if ever there was. He was very cool and seemed very interested in what I was doing and asked if I would mind photographing him. I was more then happy to do it. In his office he has the famous photo of Bobby Orr flying through the air and that can only mean one thing and that is he is a hockey fan. I tell him I’m from Toronto and he knew the rest. We talked hockey, news and his pride in his sons photo career. He then showed me the framed keys to Saddam Hussein’s house. Turns out he got them for being in first. WOW is what I was thinking and WOW is what I said. Very cool. After I photographed Jeff he asked me who else I wanted to shoot. I told him I would love to photograph Lara Logan. He says “You are in luck, she is in the building, I’ll get her up here. Who else?” I say Scott Pelley as it’s Scot that is taking over for Katie Couric. No problem he says and gets on the phone to call Scott up. what a day!!.
I started writing this post about a month ago and it’s mid July/11 now. Since the writing I photographed Lesley Stahl and just last week photographed Anderson Cooper as well. The kindness of everyone has been simply amazing from Jeff Fager to Lara Logan. Assistants, and correspondents have all helped to give me the opportunity to capture some truly extraordinary people who work on a true American treasure of a show.
There are some potentially amazing things that might come from this adventure, none of them I’m at liberty to talk about yet but fingers crossed and…….
