“Ad spending for cars and credit cards has come roaring back, helping drive 8.8% growth in 2010 U.S. spending for the 100 Leading National Advertisers—the highest growth rate since 2004,” Ad Age reported last June. “Financial advertising surged 29% in 2010, and automotive accelerated 28%, based on Ad Age Data Center’s estimates of U.S. spending for the 12 financial firms and 10 automakers that made the 100 LNA ranking.”

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Part of a 2011 Audi campaign shot by Jan Steinhilber.

From a 2011 campaign for Honda shot by Fulvio Bonavia.

From a 2011 campaign for Porsche shot by John Offenbach.

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We’re noticing the uptick right here at Stockland Martel, both among the agency’s longtime car shooters and photographers who are more in the generalist vein. “Last year, we had both Jan Steinhilber and John Offenbach shooting campaigns for Porsche,” says Maureen Martel. “Jan also shot for Cadillac and Audi. Uwe Duettmann shot for Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, and BMW. Fulvio Bonavia shot for Honda. Hyundai and Renault commissioned Nadav Kander, which is interesting because he’s primarily known as a portrait photographer. And Art Streiber shot an advertorial for Nissan.

“It’s exciting to see this upswing,” she adds, “because automotive advertising offers photographers the chance to be so creative.”

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From a 2011 campaign for Hyundai shot by Nadav Kander.

Nissan commissioned Art Streiber to shoot this advertorial featuring the actor Ryan Reynolds.

A 2011 ad for Volkswagen shot by Uwe Duettmann.

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Reporting on the 2012 North American International Auto Show earlier this month, Ad Age indicated that “confidence brims,” explaining that “the industry’s upbeat mood was fueled by 2011 sales of nearly 13 million cars and light trucks in the U.S., according to data from Automotive News.”

And last month, Adweek took note of WPP’s plans to establish a new agency whose mission is to boost Ford’s Lincoln brand. “The agency, which will have a staff of some 45 employees—some plucked from WPP’s Team Detroit unit—will focus on account management, creative, and planning. Team Detroit, which handles parent company Ford, WPP’s largest global client, will also provide support on nuts-and-bolts services like creative production, media buying, and accounting from its headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. McNauhgton will report to Team Detroit CEO Satish Korde.”

We’re not saying pre-2008 ad spending is back. But happier days are perhaps here again…

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Uwe Duettmann for BMW.

Jan Steinhilber for Porsche.

Nadav Kander for Renault.

Jan Steinhilber for Cadillac.

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See more: Stockland Martel automotive photography by Jorg Badura, Fulvio Bonavia, David Drebin, Uwe Duettmann, Jason “Giblin” Hindley, John Offenbach, Martin Sigal, and Jan Steinhilber

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Maureen Martel.

From left: Bernd Schwarz, Hans Peter Weidle, Susan Weidle-Langenstein, and Maureen.

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Maureen and Katya Arsenieva, the photo editor at Stockland Martel, have been in Ditzingen, Germany, this week, on press with our new photo annual, SMart Book 2012. (See pics below.) The book—which is being printed by GZD—is coming out in late January, and we’re planning a big launch party for it in February.

The SMart Books take a good six months to produce, and while the core concept has remained the same—to showcase the work of each of our photographers—we always try a little twist with the copy, the design, or both. SMart Book 2011, for example, was printed with three different covers: by Lauren Greenfield, Roxanne Lowit, and Liz Von Hoene. All I can tell you about this year’s twist is that SMart Book 2012—designed by New York–based Design MW—is perhaps our most personal photo annual yet, and we’re excited to share it with you. More details to come in January…

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We’re thrilled to be part of the photo-blog community and thank you all for following us. We know there are a lot of sites competing for your attention, and we do everything we can to make ours worth your time. On that note, if you have suggestions or questions related to the blog, please feel welcome to contact our blogger, Kristina Feliciano, at kristina@stocklandmartel.com.

Here’s to the next half million!

—Bill

Bill, Maureen, and the rest of the team at Stockland Martel hosted our annual Hollywood East Cocktail Party a couple of weeks ago, as a way to personally thank our clients in the entertainment industry here on the East Coast. The event, which was attended by photo editors, art buyers, and creatives, was held in the Gallery @ Stockland Martel, whose walls were filled with celebrity portraits by our photographers. Here’s a look at 14 star-powered images from the show.

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Brad Pitt. Photo by Kwaku Alston.

Conan O'Brien. Photo by Matthias Clamer.

Susan Lucci. Photo by David Drebin.

Louis C.K. Photo by Jim Fiscus.

Eva Longoria. Photo by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

Cheryl Cole. Photo by Nadav Kander.

Carolyn Murphy. Photo by Steven Lippman.

Justin Bieber. Photo by Jeff Lipsky.

Kate Moss. Photo by Roxanne Lowit.

Rutger Hauer. Photo by John Midgley.

Joaquin Phoenix. Photo by Michael Muller.

Joe Manganiello. Photo by Nino Munoz.

Nicki Minaj. Photo by Matthew Rolston.

Jennifer Lopez. Photo by Art Streiber.

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He recently photographed Ginnifer Goodwin for the summer issue of Boston Common, which just came out. I look at these photos and think, Art has made the worlds of Milan and Hollywood collide so beautifully!

—Bill

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Ginnifer Goodwin. Photo by Art Streiber for Boston Common.

Ginnifer Goodwin. Photo by Art Streiber for Boston Common.

Ginnifer Goodwin. Photo by Art Streiber for Boston Common.

Ginnifer Goodwin. Photo by Art Streiber for Boston Common.

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Walter Lürzer.

It is with heavy hearts that we report the news that Walter Lürzer passed away yesterday.

Walter, as you know, was the founder of the highly respected advertising arbiter Lürzer’s Archive, as well a seminal ad-agency figure, having cofounded TBWA Frankfurt in 1972; established the agency Lürzer, Conrad (which merged with Leo Burnett in 1980); and founded Lowe, Lürzer in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in the late ’80s. In 2009, he was inducted into the German Advertising Industry’s Hall of Fame. In later years, he was also a teacher at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.

Walter’s career was marked by an unflagging dedication to high standards, particularly in the realm of photography. “Much to the chagrin of photographers or agents submitting work, we won’t publish ads which are nothing but a beautiful photo,” he explained in a 2009 interview with the Stockland Martel blog. “There must be some idea behind it and preferably a good, original one.”

As Maureen notes, “Walter was one of those great Mad Men…a big thinker in the advertising business. I am so happy that I had an opportunity to know him.”

Adds Bill, “He was a larger-than-life, truly original character. Though he had a tough exterior, I always felt like I just wanted to take care of him. And he was passionate about this business and really cared about and nurtured the creative process.”

Walter, you will be missed.

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Related:

• Exclusive interview: Walter Lürzer

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Among the nominees at the event, which are like the photo world’s version of the Oscars, minus the choreographed dance numbers, were Roxanne Lowit (an IPA nominee for her book Backstage Dior) and Nadav Kander, who was nominated in the Print Advertising Campaign of the Year category for a Hyundai campaign featuring stock images that agency Innocean purchased from Stockland Martel Archives.

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Photo by Nadav Kander for Hyundai.

Photo by Nadav Kander for Hyundai.

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To see all of this year’s honorees, go here.

And now for the event photos, courtesy of Robert Leslie and of Roxanne Lowit…

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Art Streiber, who was in town to speak at PhotoPlus Expo, presented the Picture Editor of the Year award, which went to Jody Quon.

Houssein Farmani, cofounder of the Lucies, with Roxanne Lowit and Bruce Davidson at the Best in Show party on October 23 at Splashlight Studios. Photo by Robert Leslie.

Lauren Greenfield and Bill Stockland. Photo by Robert Leslie.

John Granito, Roxanne Lowit, and Bill Stockland. Photo by Robert Leslie.

Houssein Farmani and Lucies co-chair Susan Baraz at the Best in Show party. Photo by Robert Leslie.

Lauren Greenfield. Photo by Robert Leslie.

Robert Leslie and Roxanne Lowit.

Joanne Artese and Roxanne Lowit. Photo courtesy Roxanne Lowit.

Bob Schieffer of CBS' "Face the Nation." Photo courtesy Roxanne Lowit.

Gerd Ludwig and Lauren Greenfield. Photo courtesy Roxanne Lowit.

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Nadav Kander, "Yibin IV, Sichuan Province," 2007. Chromogenic color print. Courtesy Flowers, London.

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Last Thursday, “Yangtze—The Long River,” an exhibition featuring previously unseen photographs from Nadav Kander’s Prix Pictet–winning series, opened at Flowers gallery in London. The show, which will be on view through November 13, coincides with the publication of a comprehensive monograph issued by German book publisher Hatje Cantz. Tomorrow, Flowers will be hosting a conversation between Nadav and Philip Dodd from 7 to 9 pm. For details, visit flowersgalleries.com.

Here’s an excerpt from a review by the British culture site Spoonfed:

“When we arrive at Flowers on Kingsland Road, the place is heaving, as crowds admire Nadav Kander’s mesmerising photographs taken along the course of China’s Yangtze River. Yangtze – The Long River captures the constant urbanisation of life in modern day China. Kander’s images are magnificent; the extraordinary tonal differences between the muted, dense greys and misty bands of thick fog contrast with the fleshy tones of the people which populate them, the bright touches and hues of their clothing pops against the translucent veil of pollution.”

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Nadav (far right) with gallery owner Matthew Flowers (center) on opening night.

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Bill, Maureen, and Stockland Martel photo editor Katya Arsenieva flew to London to attend the opening and to spend time with Nadav, who is fresh off of his epic fund-raising, glutes-testing bike ride to raise funds for two British hospitals (see Nadav Kander’s Bicycle Diaries). Here are a couple of photos they took in his studio, which is in the Kentish Town/Camden area of London…

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Nadav and Maureen review images at Nadav's studio. At left is Felicity McCabe, Nadav's first assistant. Bill is way in the back at the computer, no doubt trying to winnow down the contents of his inbox.

From left: Maureen, Katya, Nadav, Zoe Tomlinson, Nadav's studio manager, and Bill.

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While they were across the pond, Bill, Maureen, and Katya visited several other

Europe-based Stockland Martel photographers, including Jason Hindley…

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Jason Hindley and his wife (and ace studio manager) Keiko at breakfast with Bill and Maureen.

A photo that Keiko took of Bill at the Islington outpost of the famed Ottolenghi restaurant.

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…and Michael Wirth…

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Maureen and Michael Wirth at Ukai Sushi.

Maureen and Bill dining at one of Bill's favorite vegetarian restaurants, near Nadav's studio.

Bill, Katya, and Maureen.

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Bill and Maureen value these opportunities to spend time with the SM photographers who are outside of New York. It’s sort of like visiting with a family member who lives far away—you don’t get to do it as often as you like, but it’s always a fun and special time when you do get together.

Plus, we’re all very proud of Nadav. If you’re not familiar with his “Yangtze” series, here’s some excellent background on it taken from the exhibition’s press release:

 

Nadav Kander made several voyages along the course of China’s Yangtze River, travelling up-stream from mouth to source over a period of three years. Previously unseen photographs from the resulting body of work – ‘Yangtze – The Long River’ – go on display at Flowers from 14 October 2010 to coincide with the publication of a monograph comprising the complete series.

Using the river as a metaphor for constant change Kander attempted at every stage of the journey, to relate and reflect the consequences of the incomprehensible and seemingly unnatural development in modern-day China.

The journey begins at the coastal estuary, where thousands of ships leave and enter each day, and moves past renowned suicide bridges, coal mines and the largest dam in the world – The Three Gorges Dam. Further inland we encounter Chongqing – the fastest-growing urban centre on the planet.

Kander never photographed further than twenty miles from the river itself. In the shadow of epic construction projects we see workers, fishermen, swimmers and even a man washing his motorbike in the river. Dense architecture gives way to mountains in the upper reaches towards the river’s Tibetan source – a sparsely populated area where the stream is mostly broken ice and just ankle deep.

The river is embedded in the consciousness of the Chinese, even those separated from it by thousands of miles. It plays a pivotal role in both the spiritual and physical life of the nation. More people live along its banks than in the USA – one in every eighteen people on the planet. Common man however, appears to have little say in China’s progression and this smallness of the individual is alluded to in Kander’s work.

The photographs are dominated by immense architectural structures where humans are shown as small in their environment. Figures are dwarfed by landscapes of half completed bridges and colossal Western-style apartment blocks that are rapidly replacing traditional Chinese low-rise buildings and houseboats.

Throughout the series, we can almost feel the weight of the humid air and haze of pollution, which Kander describes in muted tones occasionally enlivened by the smallest bright touches of clothing.

Kander responded intuitively to a feeling that China is severing its roots – the resulting landscapes and documentary-inflected fictions weigh the human and environmental cost of China’s often brutal, dehumanizing shift from state-controlled communism to state-sanctioned capitalism.

Nadav Kander said: “The photographs are an emotional response to what I saw. I gave them simple titles so that viewers are encouraged to respond subjectively before seeking the facts.”

Kander’s China is a country both at the beginning of a new era and at odds with itself, and one that inspired him to create works of sublime, soulful art.

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Related:

• Previously Unseen Images by Photographer Nadav Kander on View at Flowers

• “The Yangtze: Rapids Ahead,” a feature by Jonathan Watts, the Guardian’s Asia correspondent, published in the Weekend magazine

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Bill and Maureen and I went to see the exhibition last month. Here’s a little iPhone snap I took of Bill near one of the legendary lensman’s most famous photos:

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This was the first Cartier-Bresson show Maureen had seen, and as we toured the exhibition, she recalled the first time she ever saw his work.

“I was a college student, traveling in Europe on a Eurail pass with my boyfriend, who was a painter,” she told me. “We went to Paris, and in an open-air market, they had these little framed picture postcards. I bought three or four of them, and three of the four ended up being by the same artist: Cartier-Bresson. I was just totally drawn to his work.”

Here’s one of the photos featured on the postcards Maureen bought:

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"Rue Mouffetard, Paris," 1954, by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Courtesy Laurence Miller Gallery.

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Related:

• Henri Cartier-Bresson and Helen Levitt side by side, Laurence Miller Gallery

• “A Photographer Whose Beat Was the World,” New York Times review

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The interview just went live on Ali’s blog. A couple of excerpts:

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AD: how did you get started as and agent and how long have you been producing for photographers?

MM: In the early ’80s, I was making a transition from being a schoolteacher and had decided that I wanted to work with artists and still make money. For me, commercial photography was about the blend between art and commerce. One of my transitional jobs was working at a color lab, and that’s where I met Bill. He was coming in to get prints for one of his two photographers. After meeting with commercial photographers and with other agents, I knew that the person I wanted to work with was Bill Stockland. I pursued him for what seemed to be an eternity, which was actually just two months. And then one day, we ran into each other in an elevator of a building in what was then the photo district [in the 20s near the Flatiron Building in Manhattan], and I collared him and told him that had to hire me that day. And he did! It was serendipitous.

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AD: what advice could you give photographers on improving their portfolio and what mistake/s with folios do a lot of photographers make?

MM: Know your market, know who you’re speaking to, and have a unique voice. Also, your portfolio has to speak a clear message—it has to stand on its own, and people have to understand who you are by looking at it. If I don’t know who you are by looking at your portfolio, then your book is not doing its job.