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

Photograph by Jo–Nell Sieren

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Photographer Bianca GarciaGarment Designer Aaron MeyersModel / Agency Kristin Kellog / BMG ModelsHair and Make Up Marisela Guerra

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