Rare Press Release Brags on Store Job

Good luck, Round Rock (Tex.) architectural photographer Gary Russ. On March 25, 2008 he issued a press release noting that he had completed photography of Apple’s The Domain retail store in Austin. According to the release, “Within two hours of receiving a call from an Apple store representative, the G. Russ Images team was shooting. It was the grand opening, and workers were putting finishing touches on the store during the shoot, a challenge for a photographer.” Oddly, that grand opening occurred on March 7, 2007, over a year ago. Russ says he’s a long-time Apple product user. “We completed a challenging project for Apple, a company I respect, and I’m pleased with the outcome,” he said. Russ’ press release is the only one I’ve ever seen by an Apple store supplier, making me wonder if he ran it by Apple communications team. Pretty much the only place where Apple partners can take credit for their work is on-stage with Steve at a Macworld keynote. A press release is a no-no. Hopefully it won’t jeopardize future jobs for Russ.