MY FIRST SHOOT WITH STEVE JOBS:

I was fortunate enough to meet Steve Jobs twice.
I also had the privilege of photographing his successor, Jean-Louis Gassée.

The first time I met Steve was during a shoot for Macworld. A valued client at the time, for whom I created numerous images, including fourteen cover shots over the years. This particular assignment was to help introduce the iMac. The first bold, colorful, and    “hip” personal computer.

I had been warned that Steve’s schedule was extremely tight and that I would have no more than fifteen minutes with him. Knowing this, my crew and I arrived early to ensure everything was perfectly set and ready the moment he walked in. When he did, he entered with intensity, clearly energized by the demands of the day. He approached me, I introduced myself, and without hesitation, he looked me straight in the eye and declared in a sharp, commanding tone, “You’ve got five minutes!”

I had worked with enough high-profile CEOs to recognize this type of move immediately: it was “The Test”. He had drawn his line, now he wanted to see how I would respond. Would I falter? Would I shrivel down and cry?    Would I revert to the novice photographer and start sweating through the shoot?      Or perhaps I would    just hide behind the camera and keep to those 5 minutes?    The only thing to do for this type of test is to show that you are a professional.

I shook his hand and acknowledged his schedule, but calmly explained that I had been allocated fifteen minutes. Then I added, “HOWEVER,    if he gives me 100%, I promise that he would be out of there in 7 minutes”.    He said “OK, let’s do it”.

We had a great shoot. It moved quickly after a make-up artist did wonders in 3 minutes flat.
Steve Jobs spent 12 minutes with me, most of that time was just him and I talking. He left happy and satisfied.    When it was over, he smiled, clearly satisfied, and said, “Nice working with you—but I have to go.” He was polite, direct, and entirely present in that brief window of time.

And then, just as quickly as he had arrived, he was gone. Moving on to the next demand of a relentlessly busy day.
I am sure he put other photographers to “The Test”    But I believe I pssed this one.