A Photographer's Life

Spent an hour reading Annie's introduction. Actually I've read part of it in a bookshop, which is partly the reason I bought this book. I was and am fascinated by her writing, so personal and emotional and moving. This is not a way to write artist statement but it fits well with this particular book, a collection of photos from both personal and assignment work. There seems no logic in the bits of pieces she put into this introduction. But that's the way memory works. It is never a continuous narrative in your mind, but always in fragments. A trip with Susan Sontag. How they bought an apartment in Paris. Susan's last days. I was all in tears at the last paragraphs. Finally, knowing the fact that Annie Leibovitz and Susan Sontag were lovers and reading again and again in the intro "Susan likes this" and "it's Susan's idea that" and Annie's sorrows after Susan died are two different thing. The latter reaches far deeper in my heart.

...after Susan died, on December 28, 2004, I began searching for photographs of her to put in a little book that was intended to be given to the people who came to her memorial service. The project was important to me, because it made me feel close to her and helped me to begin to say good-bye.

I edited this book with her in mind, as if she were standing behind me, saying what she would like to see in it.

I don't have two lives. This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it.

Taking intimate pictures of family members and people to whom you are close is a privilege, and it brings a certain responsibility.

I would go into the barn every morning and put it (a CD by Rosanne Cash) on very loud and cry for ten minutes or so and then start working, editing the pictures. I cried for a month. I didn't realize until later how far the work on the book had taken me through the grieving process. It's the closest thing to who I am that I've ever done.

看到照相机里有之前拍的文字部分，顺便分享了。欢迎查看。http://www.douban.com/photos/album/127632673/