Throwback Thursday - Hasselblad Going Military?

I know I shared this once before several years ago, but I ran across it recently and can't resist sharing it again. My apologies for the quality of the grab-shot of the poster.

There's a lot of classic history in this image.

• It was a mock up of a Hasselblad ad campaign from the 80's. Each ad featured an iconic artist who "used a Hasselblad to shoot" a recognized celebrity.
• Mark Rezzonico, today President of Profoto USA, worked at Hasselblad back then and was the first one in the succession of who shot who. I've written a lot about what a small industry this is and how so many of us have a heritage of working for other companies in imaging.
• The "gun," then Vice-President of Hasselblad, Al Zimmerman is holding was on loan to us from Cubby Broccoli's studio. It had been created mostly from spare parts our service department gave his studio for the James Bond movie at the time.  At a press conference around the same time I had announced Hasselblad's entry into the arms race and presented the weapon to the photo press. As several journalists wrote down the specs of the rifle, I kept a straight face as long as I could. Eventually cracking, I was amazed at how many people actually bought the concept.

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• Ernst Wildi, "The Professor" has written the most books about the Hasselblad system over the years and is an accomplished artist and writer. I've never forgotten the first lesson he taught me, "One of the biggest differences between an amateur and a professional is that an amateur shows you ALL of his shots!"

It's a classic throwback image and so worthy of a Thursday post. Don't miss the opportunity to share images and memories on your blog that make a point about photography. Remember, for most of you your target audience is "Mom" and the kids are growing more every day. As a photographer you have the ability to capture those special moments and give "Mom" a tangible memory-maker to hang on to!

Happy Throwback Thursday everybody!

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