What represents this wider spectrum? Pop culture? Licensing?

We do get emails via the website where people ask if they can buy such and such a picture by such and such a photographer but when I say branding – though pop culture is great and to produce it is exciting, how long does a pop culture moment last? My idea is more for the photographer to have a career that is very long term. It's about the longevity of the Avedon's, the Newton's, the Penn's. How do you do that? You don't overexpose the artists. You work with a very few magazines so that people can say "This is who they work with, this is where I can see the work, by buying these magazines" It's about making them become more of a signature photographer (lol) It takes time and not all photographers can do it. You need the talent. And you need the management behind you.

What is it that a hungry young photographer needs to put himself on the editorial A-list and campaign map?

First of all, you need a very strong signature in your image. A very strong and precisely defined signature, which is distinctly your image and not an image people have seen already. That is very rare to find. Secondly you need to have an agent who is smart enough to orchestrate the right timing behind your career. You need someone who has the right contacts –and has the right contacts not only in the obvious sense of networking but also knows the key players and decision makers. That agent has to have really good trust relationships with these people where they can get on the phone with a Dennis Friedman or a Franca Sozzani or a Fabien Baron and because they trust him or her they know this agent would only have approached them when this photographer is truly ready to work on that level. Timing is crucial. The other thing is …honestly…the character of the photographer. That is an extremely important element.

In terms of what? Charisma? Discipline?

There are certain things which are a given, like professionalism. Especially now with the economy being what it is. People don't want to deal with a certain kind of behavior…like photographers being totally extravagant in their requests. And the other thing is, for a young photographer to be able to break, they must speak the same language as the clients. He needs to be able to have a conversation with the Barons, Friedmans and Sozzanis about clothes, models, imaging. The technical aspect is another very important factor but frankly it's not as important as your understanding of the point of view that is fashion. There was a moment in the 90's when art photographers were interested in fashion and where fashion photographers were trying to be art photographers.

Photos: Mark Abrahams

Can you deduce that fashion language by looking at a developing photographer's book? Are hints of it enough or does it have be full on?

With young talent it's hard to look at a book and say "Wow!" Very few of the young photographers who come in here have evolved books. You need a lot of experience before you develop your signature, your own image. A lot of these photographers are still testing here and there. Either they have a background from being assistants to very good photographers who help them to develop the technical skills or they have that fashion approach, that point of view that will give them that first break. Or you work for years quietly until one day the imagery is developed to the point where career-wise you may now make that step up.

Photos: Eric Nehr