BC Business
Cathy Mullaly, creative director for BCBusiness and Vancouver Magazine, has been thinking about photography these days.
I‘ve always felt lucky to work with some of the most talented photographers in the province, and I‘m so proud of the photography in our magazines. Over the years, I‘ve built relationships with some of our regular freelancers to the point where we almost speak a shorthand when it comes to assignments. In this new series, I thought would share the stories behind some of the pictures in BCBusiness and Vancouver magazine.
And why not start with the “sloth man“?
It all started one Friday afternoon last April, when we were putting together the June 2019 issue. Associate editor Nathan Caddell headed to downtown Vancouver interview Aman Mann, CEO of procurement and spending software company Procurify, for our cover story, and I assigned the very talented freelance photographer Adam Blasberg to join them.
Adam, who has been shooting for BCBusiness for many years, knows what I want even before I do. While Nathan was interviewing Aman, Adam headed up to the roof to set up his lighting and camera—back at the office, I knew everything was under control. So it was unusual to get a call from Adam right as the shoot was about to begin.
“Ah, Cathy, I‘m set up on the roof of Procurify‘s office, and Aman is here, but he‘ll only let us photograph him if he‘s wearing his sloth costume.“
I have assigned photographs of many people in the business community—and the arts community—and that was a first. “Do you still want me to shoot him?” Adam asked. I know he would have taken some photos anyway, if only for his own portfolio, but he still thought he should give me a heads-up.
We‘re a business magazine, but that doesn‘t mean you have to be boring. “Yes!!“ I said. “Adam, you just made my day!“ I just knew this would make a great cover.
On Monday morning I came into the office to find the Procurify cover images in my inbox. They did not disappoint.
As Nathan writes in his story, “Aman Mann isn‘t comfortable getting his photo taken in his regular clothes, so he insists on wearing the getup. (The company‘s mascot is a sloth named Dash that represents the old ways of doing things. To complete the metaphor, he‘s depicted in a rocket ship to signify Procurify shaking up the system).“
Check out the whole Procurify story on BCBusiness.