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Andree and John McArthur
take their industry expertise
to the classroom — rather,
the Hilton Chicago Hotel —
where their students work in
some of the most luxurious
suites in the city.
Written by Bianca Smith. Photography by Kelly Fleming, Jaclyn Jermyn, Savannah Purcell, Bianca Smith and Abby WangCover photograph by Savannah Purcell
The gold revolving door
tucked between the
main entrance of the
Hilton Hotel and Balbo
Avenue spun, slowly, to
reveal crown-molded ceilings
embellished with modern
hanging light fixtures and
an icy-grey color palette.
Around mid-morning, the
hotel lobby quietly buzzed
with conference attendees
finding their way to their next
forum, tourists about to start
their day and the McArthurs’
— a husband and wife
photography team — hauling
a cart full of equipment and
a truckload of humor to their
Thursday photography class.
King John and Queen
Andree, a joke about
their preferred titles that
seemed fitting due to their
extensive and impressive
client list, exude cool.
Andree is a quadruple
threat — being well-versed in
styling, producing, directing
and photography. Her green
eyes pierce through the
frame of her modern black
glasses, and every time she
laughs, full and with heart,
she runs her fingers through
her grey-blonde hair.
When John isn’t standing in
his student’s shadows while
they’re photographing the
talent at the Hilton, he’s a
CrossFit coach. He says that
he wants to be active, “before
he’s too old and can’t be.”
John was working for Tony
D’Orio and Andree was
working for Jack Perno,
both prominent Chicago
photographers, when they
met in the 80’s. After sharing
equipment and space in the
same building, they decided
to test their skills by forming
their own company.
“We had assisted Marc
Hauser, Tony D’Orio and
Victor Skrebneski — some of
the big hitters in Chicago at
the time,” Andree said. “We
felt like why are we making
money for everybody else,
why not do it for ourselves.
We had a very successful
— knock on wood — run.”
Pulling inspiration from Annie
Leibovitz and Mark Seliger,
the start of that success
originated from their first
jobs — shooting kids casting
books — before they added
Godiva, Target, Lands End
and Coke, just to name a
few, to their resume. These
experiences, John recalls,
were the instances that
formed their easy-going but
still-get-the-shot mentality.
“It was almost like
wildlife photography …
she would go —”
John turns to Andree
and tickles her.
“And bam bam bam bam!”
John takes photos with an
imaginary hand camera. “They
wouldn’t know what hit them.”
“That kind of carried over to
shooting bank executives,
where you do that and
they’re like, “Ouch!”
John laughed nervously,
imitating his former subject.
Article continues on the next page.
Photographs by Bianca Smith
“And then you get a real
smile out of them as opposed
to something stiff … We’ve
stressed with the students
— it looks like we’re the life
of the party and it’s super
fun, but secretly, you have
to absolutely do the job.
If you don’t, it can screw
the whole thing up.”
The formula changes week
by week, with the students’
roles constantly changing.
On one set, a student will
be a digital tech, and by the
next week, they are styling
the talent. Eventually, they
will be behind the camera,
vying for the chance to
have their photograph
displayed at the hotel.
“Our class is spent so much
time on location here, so
six weeks we’re here [at the
Hilton] shooting out of the 15-
week class … everyone knows
their positions,” Andree says.
“Today is the first day and …
it’s going to be tough the first
time here, but we bring our
professionalism of actually
working in this business
for years to the classroom
— not just talking about
photography but learning
because we’re doing it.”
Skill set aside, the McArthurs
bring their contacts to the
table. Modeling agencies,
clothing lines and former
colleagues that the pair
developed relationships
with are integrated into
their student’s curriculum
and potential opportunities
outside of class.
“They’re growing up in a
whole different business,”
Andree says. “A lot of our
[financial] success was based
on royalties … Now, kids are
just posting everything —
it’s all on Instagram. People
go, “Oh, I hashtagged Levi’s
and they’re using my photo.”
It’s like, who’s going to buy
your photography when
you’re giving it away?”
She’s quick to accept that
is “just how things are done
now.” But being able to adapt
with the times technologically,
keep set environments
light but hardworking and
produce exceptional work
is what takes students’ in-
class time to the next level.
“You have students who rise
to the occasion and some
that don’t, but, when you get
just a couple of them every
semester, that truly listen
to you and truly take your
knowledge that you know
and that you share, listen
to you and actually use it,
that’s rewarding,” Andree
says. “My old assistant turned
the job down, but she was
asked to be the wardrobe
stylist on House of Cards
for Robin Wright. Another
one, Dane Tashima, is a big
shooter. He shoots for Crate
& Barrel now. He’s in New
York, he just moved to L.A.”
Although Andree isn’t laying
on beds that Princess Diana
just slept in for Chicago
Magazine spreads and John
isn’t standing on the pitcher’s
mound or running the bases
at Wrigley Field anymore,
they agree that “the doors
that open on a photoshoot
are amazing … but pace
yourself — it’s not a sprint.”
First video by Savannah PurcellSecond and third videos by Bianca Smith