Same Stock Trader Keeps Getting Himself Photographed

Presenting five photos from five different days at the New York Stock Exchange:

September 17 by Ramin Talaie for Bloomberg



September 29 by Brendan McDermid, Reuters



October 6 by Timothy A. Clary, AFP/Getty Images



October 10 by Timothy A. Clary, AFP/Getty Images



October 16 by Andrew Harrer of Bloomberg

What do you think? I propose a moratorium on photographs of NYSE Trader 1148. He's just milking it. (Thanks to Ramin Talaie for bringing the first and last photos to our attention via his blog!)

Comments

[thecookie]

What's he hiding under his hand? A giant cold sore?
Retire the hand pose!

[Adam Rountree]

As a freelance photographer I worked in NYC from 2002 ~ mid 2007, during that time I photographed the NYSE and NYMEX for Bloomberg News and the AP. The traders on the floor of the NYSE are very much aware of the photographers and reporters on the balcony. There is little to no action to be seen from the Balcony, the light is very poor and the angle is horrible, we are looking down at bald spots. Although we know the traders are, to a point, acting for us, I appreciated this acting since I NEEDED A PHOTO for my editors and the wire. The AP has great access on the floor of the NYSE with Photographer Richard Drew, who I am sure by now could produce a great book on candid moments. More and more activities on the floor of the NYSE are conducted electronically and with fewer runners and traders, there is less and less to photograph. I would not be surprised is eventually there is nothing to shoot. On the other hand I have seen some good shots of the outside of the NYSE, most recently I saw a good photo by Bebeto Matthews, another AP shooter.

[elsie]

Have you noticed that his hair is thinner in each consecutive photo?

[Ray Pellecchia]

Hi Daryl -- I'm in PR for the New York Stock Exchange, and a photographer mentioned this post to me. No way you would know this, but that trader's desk -- where he has to spend a big portion of his day -- happens to be directly under the gallery from which many photographers shoot. He is not milking it, he's just by necessity in the most visible place for photographers.

I hear you (and Adam) on the point about repetitious photos, and that's why our press staff has been taking many, many photographers for shoots on the trading floor itself, so they can get a wider range of shots. If you look at the thousands of photos taken on our trading floor in the last three months, yes you'll see some repetition, but overall I think you'll see many different photographers taking a variety of shots right on the floor itself.

We're opening up access, and I hope that results in photojournalists having better ways to tell the story. Our members have been good about working with us on this on opening up their workplace and dealing with a lot of lenses in their faces. I hope that everyone understands these shots represent people at work in a complete fishbowl over the course of a workday, not people hamming it up for the cameras.

Thanks for hearing me out on all that. -- Ray Pellecchia