The Accidental Artist
David Katz '95 leads the family business into the digital photography
revolution
When David Katz '95 arrived at Clark, the furthest thing on his mind was
following in the footsteps of his father, a respected and well-established
commercial photographer in New York City. In fact, he was discouraged from
entering such a difficult field.
"My parents sort of dissuaded me away from photography because they knew how
hard it was. You are only as good as your last job in this business,
especially if you have your own company. They wanted me to have a stable
career," says Katz.
Little did he know that while at Clark, he would uncover a love of
photography so intense that it took even him by surprise. This passion would
eventually help transform the family business into a state-of-the-art digital
photography studio that is leading a revolution in the industry.
His discovery of the Visual and Performing Arts department, and its
inspirational faculty, helped seal his fate.
"I was interested in video imaging before entering Clark. I took a few
classes with (photography teacher) Stephen DiRado, and he just completely
turned me around in my way of thinking. He showed me photography from the
'art' point of view, not just the technical stuff. He stressed conceptual
thinking and the thought process. That really sucked me in," he says. "That's
when I decided to become a professional commercial photographer."
His father was secretly thrilled to hear of the epiphany.
"My father decided to divest 40 years of photographic knowledge into my head
in one afternoon," he laughs. "But it's great that I can express myself
creatively in the same way my father does. We speak the same language. We are
really talking on the same level."
Gaining respect
David's partnership with his father Arnold did not evolve without some angst,
however. After graduating from Clark with a degree in screen studies and
studio art, David soon realized that gaining experience outside his father's
mentorship was essential to earning the elder's respect. He worked first at
Macy's, in the digital photography department, and then got a job working for
Arnold's competition-with his dad's blessing.
What he discovered was the future of commercial photography: digital
technology. The versatility, quality and speed of production was breathtaking.
"Taking a picture from start to finish takes minutes, not hours," he says of
the new technology. "Traditional photography could take four or more hours.
Now, images are retouched immediately after being created. Client's walk out
of our studio with a CD of the work, and a hard copy in hand. They can take
it back to their office and throw it into Quark (desktop publishing software)
and they're good to go. In this fast paced economy, speed is everything."
Getting his father to take this radical step, which involved making a major
financial investment in new digital cameras and computers, was not as hard as
one might think. When Arnold Katz was satisfied with his son's artistic
progress and commitment, he made David "an offer he couldn't refuse" to join
the family business as a full partner.
David arrived trumpeting the digital
revolution. "My father had the foresight to see
the writing on the wall for digital photography," says David.
A rewarding relationship
The father-son business relationship is certainly challenging, but also
rewarding, says David.
"There are always creative challenges that we don't always see eye-to-eye on,
but we generally come to some kind of compromise. My father
is extremely creative and resourceful. To learn from a master photographer is
quite an experience," he says. "But when you mess up as a son, it's 10 times
worse to be yelled at by your father than your boss."
His mother Marsha, a designer, also works in the business. Working so close
to his family has taught him life lessons. "You have to mellow out a bit
when you are working for your parents," he says. "It's a process. That's why
I worked for other people. It wasn't until I went to my dad's competitor that
I started getting real respect from him."
As for the future of photography, he sees great opportunity in the Internet.
"Everyone needs pictures for Web sites. And they need their products
photographed instantly," he says, citing a recent job for an on-line jeweler
that required 2,000 pieces shot, retouched and up on their site in a week.
In three years, the transformation of Arnold Katz Photography from a
traditional studio to "The Home of Digital Photography" is complete: Father
and son take 100 percent of their images digitally. And the darkrooms?
"We converted them into storage for our computer boxes," says Katz.
David Katz was featured on the cover of the October 1999 edition of "Your
Company," a magazine about small business published by Fortune Magazine. The
article about David and his father was reprinted in the Nov. 8, 1999 edition
of Fortune.
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