Power of a Publicist

Re: “Picture Herb Ritts as the King of Lenses” by Barbara Isenberg (Feb. 11): Her article on Ritts is another classic example of the struggle between artistic professionals who are committed to quality work and creative expression and struggle for years for recognition, and those who were simply at the right place at the right time, knew the right people and hired the right publicist.

It is absurd to find a page and a half devoted to some ex-furniture salesman who only 10 years ago knew nothing about how to work a camera, let alone the artistic and technical aspects of photography, and is now paid $20,000 a day to do commercial shoots because he was lucky enough to take snapshots of Richard Gere or have his publicist arrange to get Madonna in his back yard.

Why not do a piece on some devoted artists who barely make enough money to feed themselves and are forced to live in rat holes, but have the talent deserving exposure in The Times?

Your article proves once again, it’s not what you know, but who you know (and how much money you can budget on a publicist).

DAN GRAZIANO

Lake Forest