#TBT - Back to the 80s...before digital

by Skip Cohen

I know I've shared this several times over the past 17 years of blogging, but given the current political climate, there are a lot of politicians who have managed to hold this position. And regardless of which side of the fight you're on, this is the way everybody on the "other" side seems to be perceived.

Here's the backstory on the shot, because it was all BEFORE digital!

Having spent my entire adult life in the photographic industry, I always try to be sensitive to copyright issues. I first saw the photo above on the Internet over twenty-five years ago. A few years back, I wanted to share it in a post and decided to research who owned it.

Google makes it impossible for anything or anyone to hide for very long. Searching for the copyright holder, I found that Davidson & Company, out of Atlanta, owned the image. It took a little time to explain to one of their staff, who had no idea what I was talking about. Think about how it sounded answering the phone and hearing, "I'm trying to track down the company that owns the right to the shot of a guy with his head up his butt. Are you the Davidson & Company that owns it?"

A few minutes later, I was on the phone with Ken Davidson, and not only did he give me the okay to use it, but he also shared a little of the backstory. The story adds to my appreciation for the journey so many of us have been on in this industry. The image was shot on film and manipulated with conventional retouching. It was created for a commercial client in the late 1980s!

If you visit the Davidson & Company website, on their About page, you'll see a number of testimonial quotes, all with a few common denominators: "extraordinary service, trust, Customer Service, quality, consistency," and the list goes on. They're a company that's stayed on course with their original goal—establishing a reputation as one of the very best! Taking time to talk with me about the image is a great example of going beyond the usual support for an inquiry like the one I was making.

A BIG thanks to Ken for allowing me to use the image, which he described as one of the most ripped-off shots in photography!

PS These people are professionals—do not try this at home. Any similarities to today's political personalities are absolutely intentional!