In 1989, photojournalist Tom Zimberoff cold-called Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas’s 4,700-acre home office. The Ranch is its own small city complete with a fire station, vineyards, a fitness center.
Lucas picked up: “This is George, what can I do for you?”
Zimberoff describes what happens next: He begs Lucas to do a photoshoot. Zimberoff’s work is about to be shown in a gallery, and he’s desperate to get a portrait of the cinema legend. Zimberoff ratchets up the tension, apologizing for “the narrow window of opportunity we had for a photoshoot — like right now!” and then makes a direct ask: “Will you let me photograph you?”
You’ll find the resulting photo in Zimberoff’s story. You’ll also learn how it came together through a combination of chance, skill, and using whatever resources you can find around you (like a little green Yoda hanging out in the Ranch’s reception area). It’s similar to the story behind Zimberoff’s photo of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, or this enigmatic portrait of John Lennon he captured three years after the Beatles broke up.
Zimberoff’s success getting Lucas to agree was luck, but he also put himself in a position to be lucky. He took a calculated risk and made a specific, direct ask, something we can all take inspiration from this week.
