TPS Tech Sheet 23

A Membership Benefit of the Texas Photographic Society  www.texasphoto.org

A Year with Arnold Newman by Julie Soefer Introduction

How do I begin to describe what it was like or find any- speak loudly because he couldn’t hear very to be the Studio Manager and Assistant to thing) and I well. I took Mr. Newman’s hand for the first Arnold Newman? Arnold Newman. To be just couldn’t time and I put my other hand on top of his in arms-length from his entire body of work, believe that a hand grasping mine and said clearly, “It is and the man himself, every day for a year. job working a pleasure to meet you Mr. Newman.” I sat To buy tuna fish sandwiches, every week, for The Arnold down, took my jacket off, and we started for the man who inspired my passion for Newman was talking. He told me that he was thinking that photography, to chart the course of my life posted on this, I should be “disqualified” because he speci- – whether he knew it or not. free-for-all fied no studio visits... and I sort of broke I guess I should start off at the beginning. I information the rules in sending a messenger. I quickly was 14, a freshman at the Kinkaid School in site. The job apologized saying it was wrong of me to Houston, sitting in Mr. Veselka’s classroom posting said have cheated. He followed with — “You “no calls” and don’t need to apologize.” with a projection of ’s por- Poster for the Movie “no studio trait on the wall. The lecture was on “the Supersize Me The very next day was a “training day.” I drop bys;” environmental portrait,” and naturally Mr. © Julie Soefer had a computer test and a spotting test (he Veselka projected a slide of Arnold New- both would felt I was an excellent spotter), and the next man’s 1946 portrait of Igor Stravinksy. The result in disqualification. Applicants could day he hired me. Words cannot describe image was simply perfect; the composition, either fax or mail in their resumés, no email. how excited I the scale, the tonality, the b flat shape of the So, I figured I would call a messenger, and was; whether it piano. I wanted to make images as powerful send him my prints in a big 16x20 box, and was my work as his Stravinsky. In fact, when I first heard maybe, just maybe he would like my work or my loud about the job opening at Arnold Newman’s and want to meet me without having broken voice, Arnold studio, I knew I just had to write to him and any of his application rules for the job. The Newman had tell him how much his photograph meant to very next day I got a call from Mr. Newman given me a me. Even if I didn’t get the job, I still wanted himself, asking me in on an interview. chance, and I him to know how his images immensely I told my mother, 15 minutes before I went knew this was influenced my way of thinking about mak- in for the interview, that I was sooo ner- going to be a ing portraits. vous. Mom calmed me down, I buzzed his job I was never studio and his assistant answered the door. going to forget. I saw the job posting on craigslist.com (a Llama © Julie Soefer website where you can seriously sell, buy She took me upstairs and instructed me to The Assistant

My day started at 9:30 am. I opened the months after I began working for him time) and over for dinner, studio, made sure Arnold’s desk was tidy, and I must say, persuading him into the listening to him talk about his life was not checked the messages on the answering ways of the 21st century was a personal only interesting, but also a daily history machine, then checked to see if there were highlight. For the first month, I was his lesson. any faxes that had come in, and once inter- only employee until we hired our full-time Arnold Newman earns his living in three net was installed, I checked the emails. printer, Jason, who took care of the mainte- different ways: photo shoots, print sales, Arnold did not have internet until five nance of the darkroom, handled all of the and image reproduction sales. My job was black-and-white film processing and print- ing, and assisted with me on photo shoots. Arnold would arrive between 9:40 and 10:15, and usually he would get right to returning his calls. Arnold loves to talk to people, and people love to talk to him. In fact, I’ve concluded that he has mastered the art of “schmoozing.” But the thing is, Arnold has amazing, endless, historical stories to tell: from studying Mondrian at work, to photographing Picasso, to hav- ing Carl Sandburg (a house guest at the Studying images from a shoot. ☞ to keep track of everything coming in, as printed for an order, our printer would print depending on well as everything going out – the prints, the image, bringing tests of it over and over which format the bills, and scanned images. Commerce again until Arnold had approved its quality. he chooses for Graphics, the company that handles the Almost daily, we received requests from his shot. He print sales of Arnold’s work, serves as the magazines, museums, and organizations also uses his liaison between Arnold’s work and the gal- that wanted to use or reproduce one of old tungsten leries that sell his work. Print orders from Arnold’s images. Getty Images handles the lights, seldom Commerce Graphics would come in weekly, reproduction of Arnold’s work, and has strobes, but and it was my responsibility to make sure hundreds of his images scanned and on will use them that Arnold was aware of which images we their site for purchase. Often clients would if they help already had in stock in the studio, and which request images of people that Getty did not him make a images needed to be printed to fulfill these have in their database. In that situation, better pic- orders. Arnold maintains the most amazing either Jason or I would scan the image and ture. Appro- filing system for his prints and his nega- work on it in Photoshop with Arnold next priately, in tives. Every shoot is assigned a number that to us telling us exactly how he wanted it to his words, Checking darkroom tests. is organized by date; so that sitting #s 1-50 look. Again, nothing left Arnold Newman’s “I’ll use those would be his earliest shoots. studio without Arnold Newman’s stamp of fancy things if they help me make a better So, when a print order came in for let’s say, approval. picture; everything is basically the same.” his portrait of Picasso’s head, I would look On the days shoots were scheduled (or often Assisting Arnold Newman on a shoot was up the number (2255), pull all of the Picasso the night before the shoots), Arnold and I an experience in itself – he really has the images we had filed so Arnold could see and one other assistant would spend about most amazing work ethic of anyone I have how many images he had in stock, and then half of the day preparing equipment for the ever met. Especially since he’s 86 years old, he would choose one for me to spot and pre- shoot. He still uses the same equipment, it’s really remarkable to watch him work. pare to send to Commerce Graphics to send in the same cases, that he carried through And he does everything: deciding the con- to the gallery or client. Every print that left the African Congo in the 1950’s (which he cept, positioning his subjects, the framing, the studio had to have Arnold’s approval. reminded us of each time we took those mas- and the focusing. After the shoots, we would Once it was approved, Arnold then would sive cases out.) He photographs with either go back to the studio and our printer would sign the prints. If an image needed to be an Arca (4x5), a Hasselblad, or a Canon process his film (Tri-X) in the darkroom downstairs in the studio. The Studio

Arnold’s studio, which he owns and mar- also find the only bathroom, where you will became close with ried his beautiful wife Augusta in, is on two find his print washer, in the bathtub. him and his wife floors. The downstairs consists of the studio, People often ask me what it was like to Augusta. Four film-processing darkroom, and storage. The work for the Master (although Arnold hates months later, I still upstairs titles), the great Arnold Newman. My reply visit them for tuna includes is simply that I know that I will never have a fish lunches at the tra- boss like him. Each day at the studio was an which I greet and ditional unforgettable new surprise, a new photog- am greeted with black- raphy tip, a new history lesson. People con- enormous hugs. and-white stantly came to Arnold’s studio. They were In September 2004, darkroom, museum curators, famous photographers, I left to begin my his office, executives of photography companies offer- career as a portrait and work- photographer, but Arnold and his grand- The print wash room. ing equipment and tribute in exchange, room filled hopefully, for Arnold’s endorsement. I took with me all son in the workroom. with draw- the lessons, the ers of organized prints and negatives, as Arnold always had an hour or two and sto- history, the art, and photography skills I well as the computer, scanner, and printer. ries to share. I was lucky to get a whole year. learned from my old boss, my professor, my Oh, and I must not forget, upstairs you will I must say that I grew very fond of him and friend — Arnold Newman. About the Author: Julie Soefer

Born and raised in Houston, TX, Julie Soefer photographer on the feature film, Supersize started photographing at the age of 14. In 1998, Me, and created the iconic image used for the she won the PIEA international photography movie poster. Julie then took a job working as competition, and in 1999 was named by the the 1st assistant and studio manager for one Association of Texas Photography Instructors of her personal heroes in photography, the as the number one high school photographer legendary Arnold Newman. Currently, Julie in Texas. She attended University’s lives and works in . Her work Tisch School of the Arts and received her has been seen publications such as The Village degree in Photography and Imaging. Shortly Voice, Time Magazine, Heeb Magazine, The New after graduating, Julie was hired to be a still York Post, Variety, and People Magazine. Mr. Newman and Julie Soefer

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