Morgan says other elements may be at work in this new fashion photo-culture.

WSJ: Tina Gaudoin on Style: Fashion Photography Grows Up

Le, who returned to his homeland in 2001 after picking up a degree in finance from Australia's Monash University, prefers to share the spotlight with his inner circle of six managers. (He reluctantly agreed to pose solo--and colorfully--for a FORBES ASIA photo.) He's adopted the Silicon Valley culture and has granted shares to 150 of the key managers among his 1, 000-plus employees.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas

By coincidence, photo retailer Photojojo featured a pointer on its Twitter feed today to the pop culture blog Accidental Mysteries, and a lovely spread on Camera Comics, a 1940s comic-book series glamorizing the work of historical photographers like Matthew Brady and fictional heroes like Jim Lane Insurance Investigator!

FORBES: The (Real) Heroism Of (Some) Photographers