For a time, I worked at Image Bank and then at Getty Images (when Image Bank was absorbed by them). I was an editorial account executive for four years just before stock photography became this self-serve digital stockpile of images open to the public. I was there at a really great time– when you knew all of the designers and art editors by name and they would call you and discuss their projects with you (and probably four other photography houses) and then you’d go and research the images. I was really in on some big projects, and to me, it was really exciting. I knew one of Oprah’s book selections before anyone else (because an image of ours was on the cover and they had to buy rights for a huge printing).
Perhaps one of my most favorite covers is the one I worked on for Mariner Books. The title was Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins. It involved science (of course) but the designer left it up to me to conceptualize the title (with very little background — we don’t get a manuscript at this stage in the game). I ended up digging into our images of fiber optics. I knew it was the one — she did not, yet. I slipped it in the slide sheet, with other images, and sent some digital jpegs. A few days later, the fiber optics picture was selected. I still remember that phone call and the pure joy in her voice. The fiber optics were taken extremely close up, and you could see the swell of threads and glints of color picked up along those threads. She emailed me a mock up of the cover. A few months down the road, the designer sent me a copy of the book (which was such a great read by the way). Richard Dawkins is an incredible writer (side with him or not). Then, on a Friday night, Richard Dawkins was on Charlie Rose, talking about the book with ‘my’ cover on it.
Six degrees.