As of Friday, photographers Matt Eich, Kendrick Brinson and David Walter Banks are no longer members of LUCEO, a photo collective that we've been following for quite some time.
The group (which calls itself a cooperative) issued a press release to announce, rather quietly, that three of its six members have moved on to pursue other things.
"We would like to extend our wishes for continued prosperity and luck to newlyweds David Walter Banks and Kendrick Brinson and expectant father, Matt Eich, as they leave our organization this month to refocus their efforts on personal endeavors," reads the press release.
Photo collectives have given hope to many struggling photographers in recent years with the idea that there is strength in numbers. Of the many that have sprung up, LUCEO has been a flagship – their well-manicured marketing campaign has been the stuff of envy for other collective upstarts. Whenever LUCEO is successful they make sure everyone gets the news.
Perhaps just as adroitly, they've downplayed this potential blow to their status as frontrunner. While not a sure sign of deficiency with the collective model as a whole, it does raise fears and speculation within the industry of others' viability. If LUCEO is having problems, what chances do the greener, less experienced groups have?
Lance Rosenfield, a member of the PRIME collective says that when LUCEO cropped up in 2007 they certainly helped blaze a path for many of the collectives that came after them.
"We have all benefitted from what LUCEO has pioneered in the world of collectives and we would be foolish to deny that," he says. "They have been on the forefront of everyone's consciousness in journalism."
PRIME just put out a call for a new member and Rosenfield says that even though there is still a lot of debate about the collective model, it's worked well for him and the other photographers. "There is no doubt that we've benefitted quite a lot by being part of a collective," he says.
Matt Slaby, one of the remaining members of LUCEO, says its incredibly hard to see Eich, Brinson and Banks move on, but adds that as a group, or as a business, LUCEO was always about more than the individuals and is built to weather this kind of shake up. "With transition there is a lot of opportunity," he says.
Matt Eich says he made the decision to leave in order to focus more on his family and his personal work. Eich, 26, has a four-year-old daughter and another is due in early September. Eich says he tried to never spend more than two weeks away from his family at a time, but estimates that between LUCEO commitments, his own personal work and the assignments he shoots to pay the bills, he's away from home about half the year.
"Thankfully Melissa [my wife] is a total badass, which is why I've been able to do what I do," he says. "She's got it under control." LUCEO required weekly Skype check-ins; week-long, in-person meetings twice a year; meetings with editors; and special projects like group exhibitions and road trips for projects such as Far and Few Between. "There is only so much time in the day," says Eich.
In statements both Kendrick Brinson and David Walter Banks (who are married to each other) said they too are excited about pursuing their own work.
"We wish LUCEO the best of luck with their new direction. As for me, I'm looking forward to continuing in the tradition of personal work and spirit of collaboration with all the creatives out there I know and love," Banks wrote.
Bryan Formhals, who runs LPV magazine and is the social media manager at B&H, said he can understand that people need to move on but also questions if the picture is not as rosy as LUCEO has painted it through their very active social media channels. After the announcement he wondered on his blog if the changes at LUCEO might also be "the first sign of serious cracks in the new collective model."
"My real hunch is that financially it wasn't panning out," he says. "Nobody wants to come out and say that 'I'm having a hard time' but I'm guessing that they struggled more than they are letting on. I think it's better to be transparent and come out and say these kinds of things because it might help people who have chosen a similar path."
Eich says there is no denying that freelance photographers in the current market are often on a feast-or-famine rollercoaster. But he also says that being part of LUCEO was beneficial.
"I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I can do it better on my own," he says. "I really did benefit from working with the team."
Slaby says that proof of LUCEO's success is obvious to him every day.
"I eat three meals a day, I own a house, I own a vehicle and I do it exclusively through the commisions that I make through LUCEO," he says.
Like many of us, PRIME's Rosenfield was surprised to hear the news of the shakeup, but he has no doubt that LUCEO will continue to find unique ways to produce good work and contribute to the larger photo community.
"I think we are going to continue to be surprised and intrigued," he says. "I wouldn't be surprised if they already have something big up their sleeves."
The above photos were included in a LUCEO group project, although some of these stories will continue to be explored outside of that context.
