Annie Leibovitz | Picini

Being a Photojournalism major, I think it makes sense that I was thrilled about getting to hear from Annie Leibovitz. I have to say, it was the weirdest thing ever knowing so much about her and her pictures and then seeing her walk into Hendricks like it was no big deal at all. I have a lot favorite things she said, but for the sake of not failing my upcoming finals and needing to post this by tonight, I'll make it limited.

She read from her autobiography about how she traveled so much as a child with her family. She said something to the effect of: Before she had even thought about photography and the idea of it as a career, "I saw the world through a frame, the frame of my father's station wagon." This made me laugh because I've realized before that I see my whole life through a camera lens. Even when I don't have my camera with me, whenever I see anything beautiful, disparaged, unusual, shockingly usual or joyful, I wish I had my camera. I can see exactly how the picture would look and wish that I could capture it to keep it forever, because I view my life through my viewfinder, even when it's not in front of my face. I loved the perspective of that frame of her childhood, and it made me start thinking about what frames I have viewed mine through as a kid. I haven't decided yet, and I think it'll take finals week ending before I can think straight enough to decide, but I'm excited about the prospect of it.

Some memorable things she said were:

-"I booked a helicopter but I felt like that was cheating, so I told myself that Ansel Adams would have used a helicopter."

-"Pictures take on a new meaning when someone dies."

-(About the queen) "They said there was no way she was going outside in her formal attire. Have you ever seen the queen's informal attire??"

I also realized during this how many Historical things and locations she's had a chance to photograph. Being a History nerd as well, I was amazed. She's photographed the homes or possessions of Virginia Woolf, Freud, Georgia O'Keefe, Queen Elizabeth II and Johnson's glass house. Although I much prefer photographing people to objects and locations, I'm in awe of the history she's photographed.

I'll close with how she closed, and steal her wise words. "Reality is plenty, that's life. You make it what it is. The future has to be invented. And the future is almost always invented by the young."