"I hire Skip to do what he does, and he does it really well. After all the production meetings and telephone calls, there is only so much anyone can anticipate before you actually have to go out, make the quick decisions and get the shot - plus I trust his input. I know Skip will listen to the client's expectations and fulfill the visual requirements that I need.”

- BEAU GARDNER
Beau Gardner Associates, NYC

"Quality and reliability are not always easy partners in the art world, but Skip brings a unique blend of talent and dependability. Great to work with from quotation to completion. The only surprise is how smoothly a project can run when you work with a true professional."

- CLARE TATTERSALL
Creative Director
Girl Scouts of the USA, NYC

“Shooting with Skip was surprisingly obstacle-free, from prep to post he and his gang performed without a hitch. When I explained to him the look and feel I was after, He Got It! and then He Did It! I trust him. He has became a permanent resource in my talent pool. He’s always a pleasure to work with and he’s got a great eye.”

- BEBE LEE
VP, Associate Creative Director
EuroRSCG, NYC

“You make me laugh - and blink. You’re great!”

- DICK CAVETT, NYC

"Skip makes it look easy. No matter how unusual the assignment, you know Skip will have it under control and deliver images that are on-the-money great lighting, great composition, great styling, meticulous attention to details on time and within budget."

- LESLIE SISMAN
Leslie Sisman Inc., NYC

"When working with Skip I get the sense I am flying with a well trained pilot on a reconnaissance mission. I feel secure knowing he is part of the team. Skip is well organized with great attention to detail and his results are always better than the original vision."

- JOHN DUFF
Group Art Supervisor
Noesis, Morristown, NJ

"Skip Hine is the most versatile and resourceful photographer I've worked with. It's refreshing to work with someone who excels at his craft without pretension or attitude...'Guerilla' photography par excellance..."

- KEVIN THOMPSON
Creative Director - Art
FCB Healthcare, NYC

"Skip Hine always delivers top quality photography. It doesn't matter where we are, he always comes through with a great solution. What always impresses me the most is his attention to detail. I can always count to add something creative. Skip is a very friendly professional that cares deeply about quality and service... maybe that's why we've worked together for so long."

- JULIEN JARREAU
Creative Director
EuroRSCG, NYC

"Skip is the kind of person you love to work with. Because of talent, his great "can do" attitude and his ability to work effectively with people, we could assure our client that they didn't have to worry. As usual, he is able to bring back more than was expected."

- KEN MACEY
President
Macey Noyes Associates, Danbury CT.

"What sets Skip Hine apart is his commitment to excellence, going the extra mile (literally) to capture or to create the perfect shot. Skip's photography has a signature elegance and truly compelling quality that creative directors seek but rarely find."

- LINDA MASSON BAILEY
President & Creative Director
Fizgig Productions, CT.

"The model got a black eye in a school fight. Can you keep the grass growing for a few weeks?"

Based on an award winning Pizza Hut commercial, I was hired to shoot a national campaign with the 10 year old Little League "star." It was now the dead of winter so we had 100 square feet of sod delivered to the studio to create a sandlot ball field before the stylist planted chives for the crab grass and marigolds for the dandelions. The real grass looked too dark on film, so we spray painted it light green.

The morning of the shoot, I got a frantic call from the agency saying the boy had gotten into a fight in school and had a black eye and a swollen jaw. They needed to postpone the shoot for a few weeks while he healed, so we would have to keep the grass growing while we worked around it. After three weeks of grow lights and watering, we had to use scissors to cut the grass. When we finally shot the ad, the agency offered to pay me for the landscaping, which they did.

"Mr. Hine, I am advising you that you are being detained for a court hearing before an Immigration judge.”

This happened in the beginning of a crazy ten days - clients in North Carolina, Zurich, Toronto, and Phoenix. After a 1 day shoot in Raleigh, I processed film in NYC before flying onto Toronto where my assistant and I were separated by Immigration, fined $10,000, the confiscation of my equipment, and deportation - all because I was in Canada without a work permit.

My client’s lawyer had the charges quickly dropped to allow me a one day shoot before I was escorted to my flight back to NYC. Later, while waiting for my flight to Zurich, I was told that an equipment case was missing, but I could purchase replacements.

The next morning I began to photograph executives in the lobby of the Dolder Grand Hotel, but some guests wanted to remain anonymous and they would not allow me to finish the first roll of film.

Leaving Zurich, I was sure my connection would leave without me so the pilot called ahead for help. Arriving in London, a chauffeur helped me unload my equipment from cargo and drove me across the tarmac to reload my equipment directly onto the Concorde. I arrived in New York to process more film before my flight the next morning to Phoenix. After my arrival in Arizona, Canadian authorities called to say “But, you must have the ORIGINAL receipts to be reimbursed." Unfortunately for them, I did.

"Ever shoot a camel? Can you get some reindeer, too?"

I had already worked with the singing group "The Roches" when they hired me to work on their Christmas album. It was the middle of the summer, but they wanted a wintry scene with falling snow as they sang carols with a camel and some reindeer. I hired an animal trainer in New Jersey, rented a painted backdrop, and bought huge bags of fake snow.

The farm had an indoor riding ring where we spent most of the day building and lighting the set. We had hung the backdrop behind white bed sheets looking like piles of snow on the ground and fans to blow the snow in everyone's face. After the Roches arrived, we had them bundled up with winter coats and mittens, while the animals tried to act tame with the fake snow blowing everywhere. Everyone was singing carols at the top of their lungs while we kept shooting. It was over 100 degrees in the barn, so the crew was wearing shorts and T-shirts while the singers were dressed for Siberia; they started to wobble from the heat and the smell from the animals just about the same time the art director was positive we were done.

"We need a female rock climber who already uses our product... oh, we'll need a female marine archeologist, too."

I needed to photograph a female rock climber and a marine archeologist who not only wore contacts but was already using the client’s product. A stunt woman's association in LA recommended a champion rock climber who was also a stunt woman in film.

Lori recommended Red Rocks, just outside of Las Vegas, and she hired two stuntmen to help us carry the gear. We scouted all morning until we found the perfect ledge 300 feet above the ground for her to hang from. During the shoot, we were all tied together with climbing ropes. She was even able to change wardrobe behind a bed sheet by lowering her to a small ledge below.

The scuba diver involved different complications because I had dived less than a dozen times and had never taken a picture underwater. Bob Ballard (of Titanic fame) found a female marine archeologist who recommended the Cayman Islands. I then hired an ex-Navy Seal as an assistant/technical advisor who owned 1 of only 10 underwater camera housings available for medium format film.

We all met on Grand Cayman Island to scout shipwrecks and resolve the technical problems; reloading film without decompression, using 5 foot wide strobe brackets and a flash meter - all underwater. We also practiced on the beach with a plastic message board and simple sign language to communicate. During the shoot there were very strong tidal currents that forced me to wear 40 pounds of weights and be tied down to the wreck itself - not the safest thing to do. Gradually, we became more comfortable and, two hours later, I knew we had the shot.

"Do you shoot ships?"

I was hired over the phone while the art director was literally in a helicopter shooting the project with another photographer. A week later, I was sent to New Orleans to fly 150 miles over the Gulf of Mexico by helicopter and land on the world's largest ship. We did countless fly-bys, often dipping below the oncoming bow and quickly pulling up while ship's bridge surged beneath us. After landing on the deck, I got more shots of the crew and a pilot tug before heading home.

After showing the film to the client, I was hired to go to Spain and charter a helicopter to catch the ship while it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar. I was picked up at sunrise from a nearby rooftop and we flew over the Straits with nearby Morocco off my left shoulder as I shot.

I later flew to Greece to catch a helicopter to Crete for a sunrise shoot the next morning. Despite the 40 knot winds, we were so close to the ship that my feet were wet from the sea spray while my legs dangled out the open door. We then landed on the deck to shoot more film before returning to Athens.

A month later, the art director and I flew to the Samsung Shipyard in South Korea to photograph the last 2 ships being built. Traveling with 300 pounds of equipment, we also brought customized hard hats and white jumpsuits for the crew. With just 2 days to shoot and full access to the shipyard with a technical advisor/ interpreter, we used a golf cart to keep up with the tight deadline.

"The stadium's for free, but the goal post will cost you $3,000."

I was to photograph Eddie Lee George, the football star from Ohio State University. With the help of the client, I had free use one of the largest stadiums in the country at my disposal. Two days before the shoot, I found out that the stadium was set up for track & field and it would cost $3000 just to set up a goal post for our photo shoot. Before the account executive had returned from lunch, I was able to contact the Ohio Film Commission, have photos faxed to me and secure the stadium for our shoot all for the price of a modest donation to the school. By the time we arrived at the location, word had traveled fast and we had hundreds of students fill up the stadium just to watch Eddie Lee George practice on their own home field.

"Can you light a 747 with an extension cord?"

For an AeroLineas Argentinas ad, I needed to light the interior of a 747 at JFK. I was first told I could run my strobes off the main generators while the jet was at the gate. That morning, someone from security at JFK called me to clarify my intentions and advised me that the plane's electrical system ran on a different cycle but I could still use an extension cord while we shot in the First Class cabin.

Our plans changed after we arrived and I had to use a jet that was parked out on the tarmac and supply my own power. My generator had to remain on the ground next to my car while I ran extension cords up through the door that had to remain closed. It was a hot, humid day with no air conditioning while we lit the jet from the outside and with strobes taped and hidden within the interior cabin. The models were so hot in their business suits that we hid ice bags in their clothes. There was also a melting ice sculpture with fresh fruit that we also had to photograph while everyone looked like they were having a great time.

"We need 2 Elvis impersonators and a fake one."

I had to find two impersonators to appear in an ad for a drug company. I rented Elvis suits from Sony Studios in LA, one of which had hundreds of lights sewn into it. The night before the shoot, I called one of the talent agencies to confirm the studio address and was bluntly told that THEIR Elvis would not work with any other Elvis impersonators. Huh? I was told that his act could be stolen by a fake Elvis. I told the agent that it was too late for the client to postpone their flight so they reluctantly agreed. When the second Elvis arrived at the shoot, he saw his competition and screamed "I can't work with him! I had that bastard arrested for harassment!" He promptly turned around and headed for the elevators. When the elevator doors opened, the art director and the client stepped off and remarked how nice Elvis looked. I begged Elvis to wait 5 minutes while we rented a second studio down the hall to keep the two impersonators apart. We shot the ad by alternating each Elvis being the star, but between rolls, they both would leave the set and stand in their own corner like prize fighters. The client never knew about the crisis.

"Skip missed the flight."

I was on my way to LaGuardia to meet my client on her first photo shoot. After an incredible rainstorm and two hours in a taxi, I missed our flight to Montreal. I had the driver take me to Newark to catch the last flight to the next closet place - Burlington VT. Another 2 hour ride later, I barely made the flight, but the rain had turned to a bad snow storm so my problems were not over.

At 11pm, I started the long drive to Montreal with the only car left in the lot - a Camero with no snow tires. It was hard enough keeping the car on the road, let alone try and call her. Earlier, I had left a message saying I would get to Montreal no matter what, but I did not know if she had made her flight either. Her boss luckily told her "There is no way that Skip will miss the shoot. No way."

I drove in the snow with very few other cars until I got to Montreal at 4am. I tried to sleep for an hour before our wake-up call hoping she had made to to our hotel. At 6, I called upstairs and asked if she wanted breakfast before we left for our morning shoot. She couldn’t believe I had made it.

"Does the hotel have a shovel I can borrow?"

We had just flown from London to Chicago to photograph executives walking along the river. When I woke up, it was incredibly cold with 18 inches of fresh snow, so I borrowed from a shovel from housekeeping to clear the busiest corner in Chicago for my clients to walk.

After an hour, I had cleared a 20 by 30 foot space. It continued to snow even harder while passersby complimented my civic pride. I had double parked to let my clients stay warm while I set up, but snow plows kept  piling the snow higher. I decided to stand in the open trunk while the tripod was set up in the snow. My fingers could barely function, so I put socks on my hands and ate chocolates that had been gift wrapped for Christmas.